Football History

Caddying at the Greenville Country Club as a teenager, Willie Richardson had the good fortune to come under the tutelage of a DeWitt Walcott Jr., who offered valuable instruction.

Born in Hollandale, Miss., and raised in Greenville, Walcott attended the University of Mississippi for three years, before joining the United States Army in 1942. A

Caddying at the Greenville Country Club as a teenager, Willie Richardson had the good fortune to come under the tutelage of a DeWitt Walcott Jr., who offered valuable instruction.

Born in Hollandale, Miss., and raised in Greenville, Walcott attended the University of Mississippi for three years, before joining the United States Army in 1942. A sports enthusiast with an abiding love for the game, Walcott won several amateur events in Mississippi and mentored dozens of teens in the Greenville area for most of his life. He passed away in 2003.

“My dad would hit balls before work in the morning and then after work at night,” said his son DeWitt Walcott III, a graduate of Greenville High School in 1964, who lives in Austin, Tx. “You’d have a bag of 80-100 balls. Willie would shag balls for my dad and then my dad would shag balls for Willie.

“From the beginning, Willie showed a tremendous natural ability to play golf,” said Wolcott.

Those instructions shaped a game that was fundamentally sound in all phases.

“Whatever lessons Willie got from Walcott were definitely helpful,” said Judge Reuben Anderson, a close friend of Richardson. “He was always so fundamentally sound in everything he did.”

Despite the rigorous pounding during his football career, Richardson never underwent surgery. His good health and southern climate enabled him to get on the course almost daily.

Richardson’s quartet included Anderson, Paul Covington and A.D. Jones. Through their many travels to golfing tournaments, Anderson was able to see how many lives Richardson impacted, across the state.

“I didn’t know Willie until he came back to Jackson,” said Anderson, who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice in Mississippi [1985-90], the first black to graduate University of Mississippi Law School (1967) and first black President of the Mississippi Bar Association. “I guess facilitator would be a good word to describe Willie; he was a very unique individual. He had a special connection to coaches at all the colleges in the state. He was a big brother and mentor to so many in athletics and business. He helped a lot of people get started in city government. He was involved with many non-profit and fundraising projects. He always worked to make things better in Mississippi.

“He ran for Mississippi’s Department of Transportation Commissioner, in the early 1990s, and Johnny Unitas came down to campaign for him.

“Willie had an incredible memory, he never forgot a name or place. He always felt blessed and had a unique perspective on life.

“In my 30 years as friends, I never knew him to have an argument or falling out with anyone. He was very committed to Jackson State and helped the school as much as possible.”

His easy stroke and nimble touch on the course never faltered.

“It was a bad day if Willie didn’t shoot his age,” said Anderson. “He shot 74 the Friday before he passed away. He had a great swing and was always consistent with his chipping and putting. I don’t think his skills ever diminished a bit in 30 years!”

There were many avid black golfers in Mississippi, but most of the courses were restricted until the 1980s.

“We had a strong group of black golfers and caddies in Jackson, going back to the 1950s,” said Anderson. “There were guys here who caddied for Calvin Peete and Raymond Floyd.

“We played what we called the Chitlin Circuit. The better courses didn’t open up until the 1990s.

“For competition we’d go to Natchez, Miss. Vicksburg, Miss., Birmingham, Ala., Mobile, Ala. and Baton Rouge, La. The public courses there were much better. We’d play two days, Saturday and Sunday. There would be a full field with 90 guys, but only three-four guys could compete with Willie. I’d say he won 50 percent of the tournaments. We did that until almost 2010. He won a lot of the charity events as well.”

In 1992, Judge Anderson brought Richardson with him to The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, 12 miles south of Jacksonville, Fla. The Monday after the tournament concluded, Richardson played for Jim and Mark McCumber to assess his game.

“They were impressed with Willie and wanted him to give the PGA Senior Tour a shot, but with his work schedule it just wasn’t going to work out,” said Anderson.

It seems only fitting that Willie Richardson passed away of natural causes February 8, 2016, at age 76. Natural is the appropriate description for the genial Richardson.

Moving adroitly on the gridiron, golf course and all walks of life, Richardson was one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League from 1967-69 as

It seems only fitting that Willie Richardson passed away of natural causes February 8, 2016, at age 76. Natural is the appropriate description for the genial Richardson.

Moving adroitly on the gridiron, golf course and all walks of life, Richardson was one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League from 1967-69 as a two-time pro-bowler during his tenure with the Baltimore Colts 1963-71 [and Miami Dolphins in 1970].

Former University of Mississippi Law School Dean, Bob Farley, once said, “Mississippi is not a state, it’s a family.”

On many levels, Richardson’s life parallels this theme. Family, friends and relatives from across Mississippi were intertwined throughout his life.

W.C. Gorden, a high school coach [1956-66], defensive coordinator for Jackson State coach Rod Paige [1967-77], head baseball coach [1966-76] and head football coach at Jackson State [1977-91], shared a friendship of nearly half century with Richardson.

“Willie was known throughout the state and that started with high school football,” said Gorden. “He was an outstanding community servant and a natural at connecting with people.

“When I got to the church, I saw white and black professionals and people from all walks of life. You had over 1,800 people; many had come from all over the state. It was the largest funeral I’d been to. That’s when I understood just how beautiful a person Willie was.”

Growing up in Greenville, Miss. Richardson and his five brothers: Gloster, Ernie, Thomas, Charles and Allan made a name in football, basketball and baseball.

The majority of the black students attended Coleman High School established in 1926 and named after Lizzie Coleman on the north side of the city [rival Weston High School was on the south side]. Taking pride in their students’ achievements was palpable throughout the community. A person who had a sizeable hand in developing Richardson, his brothers and hundreds of kids during his tenure was coach Davis Weathersby. A native of Liberty, Miss., he grew up with six brothers and three sisters helping farm the 65 acres his father owned, where they raised cotton, vegetables, sweet potatoes and also had their own sugar cane mill. Attending Alcorn State in 1951, Weathersby learned from a strong senior class that included running back Medgar Evers and 6-0, 230 pound fullback Jack Spinks, who became the first black from Mississippi to play in the NFL. Weathersby started three years as a 5-10, 185 pound offensive guard and defensive lineman.

Head coach at Coleman High School from 1956-70, Weathersby posted a 112-26-6 record, which included state championships in 1957 and ’67 and four Big Eight Conference titles. Richardson’s junior year, they went 9-0-2 and beat Laurel 19-14 for the conference championship. The following season they started 0-2, Weathersby moved Richardson from receiver to quarterback [he started at free safety] and they went 8-2-1 the rest of the way. In 1961, wide receiver Gloster Richardson paired with quarterback George Scott and they went to the conference final against Rowan in 1961. Scott went onto play major league baseball [1966-79] with the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. A receiver in the NFL from 1967-74, Gloster was on Super Bowl championships with the Kansas City Chiefs [1969] and the Dallas Cowboys [1971]. A South Side Chicago resident in the South Shore neighborhood after his career ended, Gloster returned to Mississippi for two years where he was the wide receiver coach at Mississippi Valley State in 1983-84 working with future NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

Teachers and administrators at Coleman High School made certain every opportunity was extended to the students.

“Coleman was a great school,” said the 83-year old Weathersby, who lives in Greenville. “We called it the school of champions. We had a great band and glee club; we excelled in everything. We had dedicated teachers and parents who were very supportive. We had people come in before and after school to teach advanced calculus and other subjects. We were strict and had complete control of our kids.”

In a state overflowing with football fever, Friday afternoons for home games brought the community out to celebrate. The 70 member award winning band, led by renowned director Roy P. Huddleston, festooned in stylish attire, stepping with drum majors and majorettes, led the march down Nelson St. before a crowd of a couple thousand.

“I grew up wanting to be a drum major,” said Wilbert Montgomery, who was part of the integration of Greenville High School in 1970 [the same year the high school ended up 90 percent African American]. He played with younger brother, Cleotha, for coach Gary Dempsey, winning a state championship in 1972 going 11-0 before attending Abilene Christian. A four year starter with the Wildcats, Montgomery set a record with 37 touchdowns as a freshman, teaming with quarterback Clint Longley to help win a NAIA National Championship. Montgomery gained over 6,700 yards playing with the Philadelphia Eagles [1977-84]. Younger brothers Cleotha, Tyrone and Fred Montgomery also played professional football; nine of the 10 brothers played college football. “You’d see them out in front of everyone with their stylish uniforms high-stepping in their routine.

“Later at night, I’d get out in the street and practice my own routine.

“As a child, we’d go to watch the games. It cost a quarter and we couldn’t afford it so we’d watch from outside the fence.

“Most kids grew up dreaming of playing for Coleman. My brother Alfred played there and my mom and aunt went there.

“Willie was a pioneer. He set and raised the bar for everyone. He showed you could go to college and play ball and even beyond that. You could see that life didn’t stop after high school.”

Photo Courtesy: Indianapolis Colts

Yazoo City native Willie Brown went up against Richardson throughout high school in the Big 6 Conference and then in college.

“He did everything and we couldn’t stop him,” said Brown, who played cornerback for the Raiders [1967-78, Broncos 1963-66] and was inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame. “Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson and the staff told me Willie was going to Grambling, but they took me there in the summer before my freshman year and Willie never came. I guess Jackson State did the same thing with him.

“Willie was dating a girl I went to school with. I had to give my approval before he could go out with her. We ended up going to the high school prom together.”

Following visits to Grambling, Tennessee State and Michigan State, he ended up at Jackson State after coach John Merritt came to his home.

“Coach Merritt told my mother [Alice] if Willie came to Jackson State, the rest of us could play there, too,” said Gloster. “He had the vision to see what was down the line.”

Younger brothers Charles, Allan and Tom, [with the New England Patriots 1969, 70] all played at Jackson State during the 1960s.

Born in Clarksdale, Richardson moved to Greenville at age five, but went back periodically to visit his aunt. During his time there, he became good friends with Higgins High School quarterback Roy Curry.

Teaming with Curry, the duo executed an offensive machine that was unstoppable in the SWAC [Southwestern Athletic Conference] with a 19-3 record from 1961-62.

In a rematch against Florida A&M, they were dominant with a 22-6 win at the 30th Orange Blossom Classic in Miami, Fla. before 47,791 breaking the Rattlers 21 game win streak.

The team was feted with a parade through the city of Jackson and a celebration on campus.

“We’re still celebrating!” Gloster insisted.

A four-year starter at receiver and free safety, and two-time All-American, Richardson tallied 171 receptions and 36 touchdowns for the Tigers.

He and Florida A&M’s Robert Paremore were the first blacks to play for the Southern team in the 17th annual North-South Shrine game. Catching two touchdowns, Richardson was voted MVP.

He also played in the North-South All-Star game. A few days later, they had a parade for him in Jackson and a Willie Richardson day was held in Greenville.

“There were about 4,000 people lined up down Washington Ave. that ended at City Hall,” said Weathersby. “After that, we had a dinner with 200 people at Coleman High School with all the coaches from Jackson State.”

At the time of Civil Rights unrest, the fanfare for Richardson portrays the complexities of race in Mississippi.

A native of Moss Point and lifelong Mississippian, Dr. Robert Khayat holds a distinguished resume of service at the University of Mississippi. A member of the Rebels 1960 championship and an academic All-American and all SEC catcher, kicker for the Washington Redskins [1960, ’62 and ‘63], a 1966 law school graduate and professor at the school of law. Khayat was Chancellor of Ole Miss from 1995-2009 and had the law building named in his honor in April, 2011.

“Mississippi is much discussed. It produces a diverse group of incredibly successful people and Willie was one of those,” said Khayat, who lives in Oxford, Miss.

“Willie was widely respected across the state. I don’t know of anyone who didn’t admire him. He was involved in a many projects that always had to do with helping people. Wherever you saw him, he was always upbeat. He mixed well with everyone whether it was at Annandale Golf Course or any other venue.”

During the 17th annual North-South All-Star game in 1962 he became friends with Syracuse tight end John Mackey, who was a second round selection of the Colts. Richardson caught two touchdowns and was named MVP as the South won 15-14 a few days before the NFL draft.

A post-game interview impressed the viewers including Mackey’s wife, Sylvia, who was watching the game with her mother at home in Washington, D.C.

“Willie was so eloquent and at ease in the interview; we were spellbound,” said Sylvia. “John called me after the game, I told him how impressed we were with Willie and he said, ‘That’s my man Willie!’”

The 1962 draft was held Dec. 4 at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Chicago. A seventh round draft pick of the Baltimore Colts and third round selection of the New York Jets, Richardson’s relationship with Mackey was a significant factor in signing with the Colts.

The two roomed together in training camp for the 1963 College All-Star team that beat the Green Bay Packers, 20-17, before 65,000 at Chicago’s Soldier Field in the 30th annual game.

“Coach [Vince] Lombardi told me, ‘If I had that all-star team, I’d win a championship in three years,’” said Dave Robinson, who was the last pick in the first round [No. 14] by the Packers after playing linebacker-tight end at Penn State. Among the guys who went on to exceptional careers were: Lee Roy Jordan, Kermit Alexander, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Lee Roy Caffey, Walt Sweeney, Ray Mansfield, Fred Miller, Jim Dunaway and Ed Budde.

He got a good look at Richardson during practice and when he lined up against the Colts.

“I really hadn’t seen a wide receiver like Willie [in college],” said Robinson. “Willie didn’t make breaks in his routes, he just went from one part of the route to another; he was that smooth. Guys who came from the black colleges were coming from wide open offenses; it was a different style of play. It was an untapped market, a lot of those guys went to the AFL. It wasn’t an easy time for any of us. For blacks players to make it [in the NFL] you had to be great. If you were borderline, you had no chance. We all had respect for each other’s ability; there were no prima donnas.

“When we played Baltimore we double covered Willie often. We brought the free safety over so we wouldn’t get beat deep. He was the guy we were worried about.”

How would Richardson’s career differed had he signed with the Jets?

“Oh my gosh! He would’ve broken all Don Maynard’s records,” said Larry Grantham, who played on the University of Mississippi’s national championship team in 1959 and was a starting linebacker for the Jets from 1960-72 at 6-1, 195 pounds. “It sure would’ve been interesting to see. I think it would’ve benefitted Joe Namath and Willie. [Namath’s rookie season was 1965].”

In the spring of 1963, Grantham received a call from a Jackson State coach who wanted to introduce him to Richardson. After a workout, the two went for coffee and felt a common ground. Richardson was invited to Grantham’s home in Crystal Springs [20 miles from Jackson] for dinner. Richardson reciprocated and the two became friends.

“We did a number of events together in the offseason in and around Jackson during the 1960s,” said Grantham. “Willie was always a gentleman; you enjoyed being around him.”

Stepping in with some of the best to ever play the game takes adjusting. A master of the craft and meticulously detailed, Raymond Berry gave Richardson a few pointers, but was also impressed with the rookie’s tools.

Photo Courtesy: Indianapolis Colts

“Willie had a tremendous combination of size, speed, quickness and great hands,” said Berry. “He was a tough competitor; the complete package. That’s the reason he became a super wide receiver.

“Physically, Willie could match up with anyone. Once he learned the double and triple fake he became extremely effective.

“As a receiver, you had to communicate with Unitas. He would ask you, ‘What can you get open with?’ And you better be prepared to tell him! That was a key thing; John depended on that constant feedback.”

Behind Berry and Jimmy Orr his first four years, Richardson waited in reserve, grabbing 35 receptions. In 1967 with Orr injured and Berry in his last season, the league got a full view of Richardson’s talents as he caught 63 passes [eighth in the NFL] and made all-pro. Richardson followed that with 37 and eight touchdowns [1968] and 43 grabs [in 1969], but only 17 his last two years. He led the Colts with eight receptions in their famous 16-7 Super Bowl III loss to the New York Jets.

The Colts multipurpose running back Tom Matte [1961-72] explained one of the reasons for the team’s success.

“Willie was a great competitor and phenomenal Jack of all trades guy,” he said. “He paid his dues and came up through the ranks. The guys always made sacrifices, putting in extra time and Willie fell right in line. He worked his butt off after practice. I worked with him on different patterns, reading defenses and man-to-man adjustments. He was unselfish and fell into the same crowd of Art Donovan, Johnny Unitas and others; we always hung out together.

“We had a basketball team in the offseason where we traveled around and played about 30 games. It was a way to stay in shape and raise some money for charity. It was Mackey, Unitas, Geno Marchetti and a few others. Willie was one of the best players.

“We had a group that would play golf frequently and Willie was the best. He was right at par, I was a three-four handicap. He was always 30-yards longer off the tee.

“We’d all go out for beers together, we had a lot of great times together. His wife [Earline] was a real sweetheart and was good friends with my wife.”

In 1965, Richardson made an instinctive interception which resulted in a joyful 50-year marriage and three kids [Sonji Nicole, Willie III and Shawn Elizabeth].

One of seven children, who spent her first five years on the famous Hopkins Plantation outside of Clarksdale, Earline Outlaw’s family roots go back before the Civil War in the same city. Earline’s father drove a tractor at the Hopkins Plantation, but he died of heart failure when she was five. She moved into town with her grandparents [her grandfather was a barber].

“My grandparents and everyone else emphasized education and the importance of going to college and bettering yourself,” said Earline.

During her freshman year at Jackson State, she met Willie. While never dating, the two kept in touch through letters and occasional phone calls. When Richardson found out Earline was getting engaged, he made a quick decision.

Married June 6, 1965, by a Justice of the Peace in Clarksdale, their honeymoon was postponed as Richardson prepared for training camp. Earline finished her degree at Coppin State and began teaching elementary school in Baltimore.

“I never really knew all the things Willie did, but at the funeral so many people came up and said, ‘Willie helped me get my first job in city government or in other areas,’” said Earline. “That’s when it hit me how many people he reached.”

As one of the premier cornerbacks in the league [1963-69 with the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams 1970-71, free safety the Philadelphia Eagles 1972-73], Kermit Alexander lined up against Richardson many times, beginning with the College All-Star team.

“It didn’t matter if he was double-covered, whenever they needed a big catch, on third down, he’d get it,” said Alexander, who was All-Pro in 1968 and second in the NFL with nine interceptions [he had 43 in his career and ranks third in 49er history with 36]. “He would destroy a zone [defense] so we’d switch to man-to-man to cut down his opportunities. You had to pick and choose when to double cover him. You couldn’t intimidate him and you never saw him drop a pass.

“Willie ran terrific routes and had very deceptive speed. He would glide along and then change gears, separate from you and break a pattern so quickly. Unitas would throw the ball before he finished the route and the ball would be there right when he made his break. We’d have guys on our team cussing each other out because we couldn’t stop him.

“Unitas and his receivers worked for an hour after practice to perfect their timing.

“When I was with the Rams we double-teamed him, but he still owned the red zone. Even in double coverage, he could out-jump you for the ball. His hands were so strong. I thought Willie was like Berry in that they were masterful in running their routes; of course Willie had more speed.”

A common thread was woven through the Jackson State players. They were primarily from small towns across the state and grew up laboring long hours picking cotton and were the first of their family to attend college. Taking full advantage of opportunities on the field and in the classroom, relationships cemented 50 years ago are intact, as hair grew gray and gaits slowed. Raised in Clarksdale, John Outlaw watched his older cousin, Roy Curry, star as a quarterback at Higgins High School.

Outlaw, who battled receiver Harold Jackson in practice, was drafted in the 10th round in 1969 by the Boston Patriots. Before training camp, he moved in with Richardson in Baltimore and worked out with Berry, Unitas, Ray Perkins and a few others.

“What I learned in one month was invaluable,” said Outlaw, who played with the Patriots from 1969-73 and the Eagles from 1973-77. “There was a slew of talented receivers and you had Unitas at quarterback. I didn’t shy away.

“Willie’s hand-eye coordination was at another level. He knew how to set you up. He’d get you leaning one way and then cut the other way; he had incredible body control.

“Playing at Jackson State, Willie was a guy everyone looked up to and aspired to be. He was a straight shooter and a huge asset to the school.”

A case of deja vu occurred in 1971 when Outlaw found himself lined up against Richardson during the final game of the season. In the second quarter, he picked off a Unitas pass and sped 60-yards for a touchdown as the New England Patriots held off the Colts 21-17.

A year behind Richardson in college, Speedy Duncan enjoyed the opportunity to square off against the best.

“[Assistant coach] Joe Gilliam Sr. taught us to play bump-and-run,” said Duncan, who joined the San Diego Chargers as a free agent in 1964. Defensive coordinator Chuck Noll put Duncan in as a starter in 1965, at right cornerback, where he became a four-time All-Pro in addition to returning punts and kickoffs. He was a special teams ace with the Washington Redskins from 1971-74.

“Willie knew how to get you where he wanted in his route and then make his cut. He knew how to separate from you under any situation. He was a tremendous competitor and never made a dirty play [in practice].

“I went against Lance Alworth [for six years] and there were similarities between the two. Both had a mindset when the ball was in the air it belonged to me! It didn’t matter what position you had, or how close you were, they would find a way to go up, position their body and come away with the ball. Both had incredible hand-eye coordination and were also great golfers.”

Gulfport, Miss. native Lem Barney, who was inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame with John Mackey in 1992, has close ties to the Richardsons.

“I remember watching Willie when Jackson State played Grambling and then during the Blue-Gray All-Star game,” said Barney, who was a seven-time pro bowler with the Detroit Lions [1967-77]. “He was an inspiration for me signing with Jackson State.”

Barney’s roommate was Thomas and Gloster lived across the hall.

“I felt like I was part of the Richardson family, we had a great relationship,” said Barney, who was a three-time All SWAC selection. “We spent a lot of time talking about Willie and watching him when the Colts were on television. You talk about a loaded team, they had it all with Unitas, Lenny Moore and Raymond Berry.

“When Willie came back to Jackson he was very encouraging with me. He said, ‘You have great footwork, you’re fundamentally sound, you’re going to get drafted high.’”

It wasn’t long before Barney was lining up against Richardson, who caught five passes against him in a 41-7 Colts win in 1967.

“When Willie went up in the air, he was impossible to stop. He had long arms, great body control and his hands were like nets. He was as good as any receiver I faced.”

Barney and Richardson went at it in the Pro Bowl held in Los Angeles in 1967 and ‘68. Afterwards, they joined their wives, Jacqui and Earline and enjoyed the sights in Los Angeles.

The day after the 1965 draft, Bill Curry woke up to a phone call from his brother-in-law telling him he was the second to last player drafted in the 20th round, by the Green Bay Packers. Curry hung up thinking it was a joke. It wasn’t. Making the squad in 1965, Curry became their starting center in 1966 and then started for the Colts from 1967-72. His memories are still vivid recalling Richardson’s artistry that helped the Colts beat the Packers.

“Willie was a dominant receiver in those three years [1967-69],” said Curry. “He made a number of big catches to win games for us. In 1967 [at Baltimore], Willie stepped in front of [Hall of Fame cornerback] Herb Adderly on a post route and caught a [23-yard] touchdown pass [from Johnny Unitas] in the fourth quarter to give us the win [13-10]. That snapped a four-game losing streak to the Packers.

“The next year at Green Bay, I desperately wanted to win that game. Willie went up and reached over the top of Adderly at the goal line to take away the ball and complete a 26-yard touchdown pass [from Earl Morrall]. I remember running down there picking him up to celebrate [a 16-3 win].

“The other thing that sticks out about Willie is he was always upbeat and ready for the next thing, like most of the guys on the team.

“The Packers had a passionate fan base, but Baltimore, there was nothing like it. They called Memorial Stadium the World’s Largest Outdoor Insane Asylum and that’s what it was. We played on what we called the astro-dirt. We had pep rallies, we had the Colts’ Corral in the offseason. It was a special time and place.”

Making a seamless transition to television, he worked as a sports anchor for Fox 45, in Baltimore from 1972-82.

In 1982, Governor William Forest Winter called Richardson and offered him a job in the tax division, where he ended up working for 25 years.

“Willie was very close with his mother,” said Earline. “It was a little more of an adjustment for me. I taught at an elementary school in Rankin County for two years and then at Barr Elementary for nine years.”

Pastor Jerry Young of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson was an extended family member and eulogized Richardson.

“Willie’s mother [Alice] was my second grade teacher,” said Young, who has been pastor since 1980. “She convinced me I could be successful. I went to her class from second grade to high school. His father W.L. Richardson and my dad E.L. Young were preaching buddies. They went to a number of churches in the delta.

“I went to high school in Benoit at Nugent Center.”

A few years younger Willie, Pastor Young followed his career. Richardson was a member of his church for over 30 years.

“Willie Richardson represented all of us,” he said. “It wasn’t just pride, but hope and aspiration of what was possible. To come out of Jackson State and make it.

“The Richardson family were tremendous people. I can’t tell you how proud we were of Willie and his brothers.

“Sometimes, when a man has accomplished what Willie had, by the grace of God, he reads his own press clippings and becomes pompous or arrogant. I know Willie understood the power that came through him, not from him and was a gift of God.

“Willie was a great person who was always humble. I did the eulogy for his mother and brother Ernie. I was pleased and proud to be a friend. He was in church the Sunday before he passed, sitting in his usual spot. I looked out and said, ‘There’s Willie.’”

This past week, the Retired NFL Players Congress and the NFL were able to finalize a landmark deal. For those of you not familiar with the Retired NFL Players Congress, here is a little background.

They represent the Retired NFL Players and their Widows. It is controlled by and operates for the benefit of

This past week, the Retired NFL Players Congress and the NFL were able to finalize a landmark deal. For those of you not familiar with the Retired NFL Players Congress, here is a little background.

They represent the Retired NFL Players and their Widows. It is controlled by and operates for the benefit of same. The Congress works to develop business partnerships that create revenue to serve the needs of Retired Players both collectively and individually. Its aim is to reduce litigation battles and dependence on charity so that they can focus their resources and efforts on identifying new revenue sources for their 18,000+ members. They give the retired players and their family members a voice that has been missing for far too long.

Below are some quotes from the Retired NFL Players Congress Press Release, which can be read in full here.

Greetings Retired/Former Players and Widows:

We are pleased to announce that the Retired NFL Players Congress has entered into a historic apparel licensing agreement with National Football League Properties, the NFL Player Care Foundation, and JH Design Group on your behalf. This is a profit making venture that the Congress has been working on for the past eighteen months to generate real income for retired players while supporting the many other benefits/programs that are already in place.

Former Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, Eugene Upshaw, properly advised us before his death that he did not work for, or legally represent us. “The bottom line is I don’t work for them,” Upshaw told the Observer. “They don’t hire me and they can’t fire me. They can complain about me all day long. They can have their opinion. But the active players have the vote. That’s who pays my salary.” He went on to compare our value as retired players to “dog food” that no one wanted. Mr. Upshaw was correct in his first statement. We accepted what he publicly stated and verified the legality of his statement. That is why we went to work filing the necessary legal paperwork to insure that we as retired/former NFL players have a legal entity that does represent us independently and directly. (Retired NFL Players Congress, Inc.) Upshaw, then Executive Director of the NFL Players Association was wrong, we have found, on the $$$ value that we have to the NFL and other companies in corporate America who recognize our contribution to the game.

We know retired players need tangible ways to supplement pensions, retirement income and beneficial programs that the Owners already fund and contribute to both directly and indirectly. This innovative NFL licensing initiative is the first in a series of money producing business ventures planned by the retired players and widows of the NFL who are now the Retired NFL Players Congress.

Our aim is to reduce, and ultimately eliminate the seemingly never ending litigation battles and dependence on charity and focus our resources, efforts and energy on identifying new revenue sources for all of our family. We intend to work toward including our unvested 1, 2 and 3 year men into our pension programs. Another goal is to raise our pension programs to the same level as that of Major League Baseball. The question is not one of whether or not it can be done, it is rather one of what can we do to make that happen. The Congress also plans to purchase various tangible assets that will directly benefit the Congress and its members.

Our goal this year is to fund and institute, with our earnings, the first of two programs for financial assistance to the roughly 70 former players who are 90+ years old and have received less than we believe they are entitled to. We believe this oversight should be addressed immediately and we have strong support from the League office and some of the team owners. The apparel licensing program is one of thetools that the Players Congress, working with the NFL Player Care Foundation will use to fund improved payouts to these deserving men and their families. This new relationship between the NFL and the Players Congress is an important step in addressing the decades long missing business link between the NFL Owners and retired NFL players collectively. The Retired NFL Players Congress is “The Missing Link” and it has the support of all of the living men who formed the original NFLPA and the Players Union back in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Through our new NFL apparel licensing and sales program, which allows us to manufacture and sell an exclusive line of high-end NFL team jackets in leather, wool, and mixed leather and wool, the Congress will provide income, education, training, and other opportunities for NFL alumni. We are partnering with JH Design Group, one of the nation’s leading sportswear apparel manufacturing and licensing companies.

NFL Player Care will help structure the 90+ year old program and some of our other benefit programs so that we can minimize administrative expenses. Initially, revenues may be reduced because we have a limited product line, and we are getting a late start on season sales for 2015. Nevertheless, we are excited at the prospect of becoming an actual business participant in the upcoming 50th Anniversary Super Bowl. We are also confident that with your support and small membership payment, we can grow our licensing program and expand business relationships and opportunities, in the long term, with others in corporate America…

I understand the Players Congress also hopes to improve the current pension program for players that played prior to 1993 to that of Major League Baseball. According to Vice Sports, former MLB Players become eligible for pensions after spending 43 days on the active roster. Once that feat is accomplished, MLB Players are eligible for $34,000 a year pension. Furthermore, former MLB Players are rewarded with a $100,000 a year pension if they play 10-plus years in the Majors. It would take a Pre-1993 NFL player 11 credited seasons to earn the MLB’s 43 day (not game) pension and 30 seasons to earn the $100,000 a year pension. Not to mention, the average NFL player’s tenure is roughly three years compared to the MLB’s 5.5 years.

Furthermore, Vice Sports states that roughly 3,641 former players receive an average monthly pension of $1,656 and 90% of former players also receive $723 a month from the Legacy fund. Those amounts roughly equate to $28,550 dollars a year, which is far less than Major League Baseball players and far harder to obtain.

The Retired NFL Players Congress, which represents retired NFL Players and their widows, will continue to work tirelessly to develop business partnerships that create revenue to serve the needs of the Retired Players.

I hope I was able to shed some light on what a tremendous job this organization is doing and to spread the word to all players, current and retired, in the hopes that they will become members and stand with their brothers who fought for them so long ago.

Graduate of both NFP’s Intro to Scouting 101 course and Sport Management Worldwide’s Football GM & Scouting course. Relevant experience includes shadowing former NFL Players & Coaches/Scouts, Bob Pellegrini and Dick Bielski as well as current New England Patriots Front Office Executive, Michael Lombardi during his tenure with NFP.

STRENGTHS • Very good agility and quickness • Excellent instincts • Transitioned well • Very good tackler

WEAKNESSES • Slow to shed blocks • Does not have the straight-away speed to cover running backs and flankers

BOTTOM LINE Curtis displayed excellent instincts, as well as very good quickness and agility. He transitioned well in coverage and showed very good tackling skills. However, he had a habit of going high and missing on tackles. He was slow to shed his blocks and had a habit of getting sealed away from the play. He did not have the speed to cover running backs or flankers that he was responsible for covering. But, he did show the ability to cover from hash mark to hash mark. He did not always take the best angles, but his quickness allowed him to recover and make up ground.

GAME: December 10, 1966 – Green Bay Packers: 7.3 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Curtis lined up as a left outside linebacker and played on the line of scrimmage for the bulk of the game. He showed very good quickness and agility in both run stopping and pass coverage. He could get out of his transition quickly in pass coverage. He was quick to react on the line of scrimmage. However, he could sometimes be slow to shed blocks to make plays. He was willing to take on blockers, but had a habit of being sealed and kicked out. A very good tackler, however, this film did not show many tackles of his. There was one missed tackle of Elijah Pitts (#22) in the fourth quarter. He shed the block of Marv Fleming (#81), but failed to make the tackle of Pitts. In the second quarter, he left his feet, which allowed him to be cut blocked. He was around the ball on many occasions. He was good in zone coverage.

GAME: January 12, 1969 – New York Jets: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE: Curtis lined up as a left outside linebacker and played on the line of scrimmage for the bulk of the game. When he played off the line of scrimmage, he would move from the end of the line to between the left defensive end and left defensive tackle. Curtis showed very good quickness and agility in both run stopping and pass coverage. He could get out of his transition quickly in pass coverage. He was a little slower than the running backs and flankers that he was covering, but he could quickly close to make the tackle with little yards after the catch. The Jets primarily ran to the weak side, away from Curtis. He was quick to react on the line of scrimmage. However, he could sometimes be slow to shed blocks to make plays. A very good tackler. He made several excellent open-field tackles throughout the game. Could cover from hash mark to hash mark quickly to make a play. He had trouble staying on his feet.

GAME: September 28, 1970 – Kansas City Chiefs: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: Curtis played middle linebacker in the game. He was quick and aggressive in his play. He showed excellent instincts and was quick to diagnose plays. He didn’t take the best angles in his coverage, but he was able to make up ground. Very good tackling, but he had a habit of hitting high and missing the tackle. He displayed a very good ability to shed blocks.

GAME: October 18, 1970 – New York Jets: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE: This is a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays are shown. Curtis made an excellent interception in the second quarter. Excellent instincts. Quick to react to the play. On an interception, he quickly got into position to assist in blocking downfield. Late in the second quarter, Curtis had a missed tackle on receiver Eddie Bell (#7) in the middle of the field. Curtis was quick to cover ground in zone coverage.

GAME: January 17, 1971 – Dallas Cowboys: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: This is a television broadcast. Curtis played middle linebacker throughout the game. Curtis was aggressive, but he tended to overrun the play at times. He was quick to diagnose plays and was always around the ball. He was walled off a few times, but did a very good job shedding blocks and getting through traffic. In the first quarter, Curtis showed excellent red zone play when he pushed the center back into the leading back and stopped Duane Thomas (#33) for a short loss. He showed very good coverage skills. In the fourth quarter, Curtis intercepted a Craig Morton (#14) pass.

GAME: October 25, 1971 – Minnesota Vikings: 7.3 BOTTOM LINE: Curtis played middle linebacker in the game. In the first quarter, he dropped into coverage and almost had an interception. However, later in the quarter, Curtis was covering tight end Stu Voigt (#83). Voigt caught the ball ahead of Curtis and streaked down the sideline. Curtis just stopped on the play. Curtis also struggled in zone coverage. He was aggressive in his coverage, but did not take good angles and spent too much time on the ground.

GAME: October 12, 1975 – Buffalo Bills: 7.3 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film, and not all plays are shown. The Colts’ defense focused on the run. The Colts stacked the box, with Mike Curtis focused on the running backs. He lined up as a middle linebacker. In the first half, the Colts were able to hold O.J. Simpson (#32) to minimal gains. However, Simpson exploded in the second half. Curtis showed excellent reaction times to the running back. He also showed smooth transitions in pass coverage and showed very good tackling skills. However, he was a little slow in pass coverage. In the third quarter, he was covering tight end Paul Seymour (#87). Seymour got a step on him and caught a pass for a 26-yard gain. Curtis did not make the tackle. In the second quarter, Curtis was called for a holding penalty on a sack, which kept a Buffalo drive alive. Also in the second quarter, Curtis failed to make a tackle on Simpson.

HISTORIC REPORTS GRADING SCALE

Hall of Fame 9.0 – Rare 8.5 – Exceptional to Rare 8.0 – Exceptional

Hall of Very Good 7.5 – Very Good to Exceptional 7.0 – Very Good 6.5 – Good to Very Good

Other 6.0 – Good 5.5 – Above Average to Good 5.0 – Above Average 4.5 – Average to Above Average

Matt Reaser is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and serves on multiple PFRA committees. He has written articles on football history and recently contributed towards a book on the 1966 Packers. He has researched high school, college and professional football. He is a former high school quarterback.

WEAKNESSES • Did not give full effort to plays run to the opposite side of the field • Struggled at times with blocking

BOTTOM LINE Shofner ran excellent routes. However, he did not sell the route when the play went to the opposite side of the field. He had excellent hands and concentration when catching in a crowd of defenders. Excellent run after the catch. Competitive and fought for extra yardage. However, his competitiveness was lacking when he was not the target. Shofner was inconsistent on blocking. He showed very good ability at times, but was not always willing to complete the block.

GAME: December 31, 1961 – Green Bay Packers: 7.9 BOTTOM LINE: Shofner played split end, flanker, and tight/closed/left end in the game. He was primarily a split end and strictly on the left side. The tight camera angles made it difficult to evaluate the entire route. On the second offensive series, Y.A. Tittle (#14) threw a pass to Shofner along the left sideline. The pass was under-thrown and Shofner lost his footing. Incomplete pass. Charley Conerly (#42) replaced Tittle in the second quarter. Late in the second quarter, Shofner lined up tight. Off the snap, he released and blocked downfield for a sweep to his side. He showed very good blocking skills. Tittle returned late in the third quarter. He threw to Shofner running a quick slant pattern. Shofner caught the pass with three defenders around him, and still gained about five yards after the catch. Shofner showed good hands to not only receive the ball, but strength to hold on to it with multiple defenders tying to strip the ball. Excellent concentration. Tittle hit Shofner again in the third quarter for a short gain. Shofner ran a quick slant pattern and caught the ball. He was hit in the head by the defender, ran a yard or two before being tackled. In the fourth quarter, Tittle threw a long pass on a nineroute. The ball was slightly underthrown and was intercepted by the trailing defender. Shofner rode him for a few yards before he brought him to the ground. Later in the fourth quarter, Tittle threw a short slant to Shofner, who caught it with Jessie Whittenton (#47) hanging on him. No yards after the catch. Tittle threw a pass on an out pattern along the left sideline. The pass was short and uncatchable. On catchable passes, he made the catch on all but one, which was a low pass on a sideline out in the fourth quarter.

GAME: December 30, 1962 – Green Bay Packers: 7.6 BOTTOM LINE: The way this film was edited, not all plays were shown. However, there were no interruptions in the broadcast audio to fill in the detail on missing plays. Shofner played split end, flanker and tight/closed/left end. Always on the left side of the line. On the first offensive series, Shofner was penalized for pass interference. He pushed off defensive back Jesse Whittenton (#47) on a sideline out pattern. Later in the series, Y.A. Tittle (#14) overthrew Shofner. The play was not shown to see if the ball was catchable. On the second offensive series, Shofner was lined up tight. He broke through the defense on a crossing route and Tittle hit him in stride. The defenders closed quickly, but there was decent yards after the catch. On the next play, Shofner was split wide to the left and ran an out route. Tittle hit him along the sideline. Shofner showed very good hands and the ability to keep his feet inbounds for the catch. No targets in the second quarter. On the first offensive series of the third quarter, Tittle threw an out to Shofner, who showed very good hands and concentration to pull in the ball and keep his feet in bounds. The ball was a little high and outside. Shofner had to stretch out to get the reception. On the next offensive series, Shofner was targeted, but Whittenton knocked it out of his hands. The play was described on audio, but no video was shown. On the next play, Shofner was targeted and made an excellent catch with Whittenton hanging on him. Shofner leapt into the air to catch the high pass, but was tackled immediately. On the same series, Shofner ran a crossing pattern. Tittle targeted Shofner, but Willie Wood (#24) interfered and was penalized. Wood was ejected from the game for bumping the official. On the next play, Shofner was targeted in the end zone, but the pass was overthrown. In the fourth quarter, Tittle targeted Shofner on a long nine-route, but the ball was overthrown. Uncatchable. On the final offensive series, Shofner was targeted, but the pass was incomplete. No video of the play. Also, no video of Shofner’s last reception a minute before the end of the game. Blocking was good to very good, but inconsistent.

GAME: September 15, 1963 – Baltimore Colts: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE: This is an NFL Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Shofner played split end, flanker, and tight/closed/left end in the game. The tight camera angles made it difficult to evaluate the entire route. In the first quarter, Y.A. Tittle (#14) threw an out pass to Shofner for a 14-yard gain and a first down. He did a great job to get both feet in bounds for the completion. In the second quarter, Shofner ran a curl pattern. Tittle threw the ball high and it went through Shofner’s hands for an incomplete pass. A few plays later, Tittle hit Shofner on an out pattern, but it was negated due to a penalty on the offense. A few plays later, Tittle hit Shofner on the same out pattern for a nine-yard completion. Two plays later, Tittle threw a pass to Shofner at the side of the end zone. The pass was overthrown. Shofner had a few fingertips on it, but he was out of bounds. In the third quarter, Tittle hit Shofner on a short pass for a five-yard gain. A few plays later, Tittle hit Shofner on a slant. Shofner continued to streak across the field for a 43-yard reception. Very good hands and speed. Tittle is injured on a touchdown run and is replaced by Ralph Guglielmi (#9). Also in the third quarter, Guglielmi threw a sideline pass to Shofner. The pass was under thrown and was intercepted by the trailing defender. Shofner tackled the defender in the end zone. Shofner showed good to very good blocking abilities. He was able to knock linebacker Don Shinnick (#66) to the ground in the fourth quarter. He did an excellent job getting open on out routes.

GAME: November 24, 1963 – St. Louis Cardinals: 7.9 BOTTOM LINE: Shofner played split end, flanker and tight/closed/left end. Shofner showed very little effort when the play was not run to him. No receptions for Shofner in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Y.A. Tittle (#14) threw an out pass to Shofner. The ball was incomplete. Hard to tell if it was catchable. A few series’ later, Shofner had a very good reception near the left sideline. After the catch, he was hit immediately by two defenders and stopped without yards after the catch. Shofner showed very good hands with the reception. Later in the quarter, Tittle threw a long pass to Shofner, but the ball was underthrown and almost intercepted by Larry Wilson (#8). Two plays later, Tittle hit Shofner on a mid-range pass. Shofner got his body in front of the defensive back to get the ball. He broke away from the tackle of Wilson and gained an extra 12 yards. Very good effort to get yards after the catch. In the third quarter, Shofner ran a deep post pattern. The ball was underthrown by Tittle and intercepted by Wilson. Shofner ran back over 30 yards to make the tackle. Excellent hustle. Later in the quarter, Tittle underthrew a sideline pass to Shofner, which was again intercepted by Wilson. Later in the quarter, Tittle threw an out to Shofner, who showed an excellent ability to turn upfield to gain yards after the catch. The reception went for 20 yards. In the fourth quarter, Shofner caught a short out. He was hit immediately and had no yards after the catch. A few plays later, Shofner ran a deep post, beating the defender by about two yards. Tittle hit him in stride. Jimmy Hill (#41) caught him and tripped him up at the one-yard line for a 48-yard reception. Excellent concentration and hands to catch the over-the-shoulder pass.

GAME: December 29, 1963 – Chicago Bears: 7.2 BOTTOM LINE This is a highlight film. As a result, not all plays are shown. Shofner played split end, flanker and tight/closed/left end. In the first quarter, Shofner beat Dave Whitsell (#23) to the end zone. Tittle threw the pass but it was a little high and slightly behind Shofner. It hit the hands of Shofner, but he was unable to catch it. It should have been a touchdown reception. Tittle left the game in the second quarter when he was hit in the leg by linebacker Larry Morris (#33). He was replaced by Glynn Griffing (#15). No targets for Shofner in the second quarter. Tittle returned at the beginning of the third quarter. On the first offensive series of the third quarter, Shofner was targeted by Tittle on a curl route. Dave Whitsell stepped in front of Shofner for the interception. Shofner tackled Whitsell for only about a one-yard return. Shofner was targeted again at the end of the third quarter, but the pass was too far in front of him. With about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Shofner ran a deep post. He beat his defender, but Tittle’s pass was overthrown. Shofner did not have a reception in the game. His competitiveness was good at best in this game.

HISTORIC REPORTS GRADING SCALE

Hall of Fame 9.0 – Rare 8.5 – Exceptional to Rare 8.0 – Exceptional

Hall of Very Good 7.5 – Very Good to Exceptional 7.0 – Very Good 6.5 – Good to Very Good

Other 6.0 – Good 5.5 – Above Average to Good 5.0 – Above Average 4.5 – Average to Above Average

Matt Reaser is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and serves on multiple PFRA committees. He has written articles on football history and recently contributed towards a book on the 1966 Packers. He has researched high school, college and professional football. He is a former high school quarterback.

WEAKNESSES • Can get beat long • Has a habit of trailing receivers, preventing him from breaking up passes • Not aggressive towards the ball

BOTTOM LINE Fischer showed very good skills in both run stopping and pass coverage. In the run game, he was quick to react and showed good instincts. He had some aggressiveness in run support, but was not consistent in his aggressiveness. His size worked against him when attempting to tackle larger running backs. In coverage, Fischer displayed very tight coverage. At times, he was turned around by the receivers and they were able to exploit that flaw and beat him long or with sharp cuts. His recovery speed was excellent, which helped him mask that flaw.

GAME: November 24, 1963 – New York Giants: 7.4 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Fischer played left cornerback in the game. The Giant threw many short outs and crossing routes to Frank Gifford (#16) to attack Fischer’s side of the field. In the second quarter, Fischer almost intercepted a pass when he was fighting for the ball with Gifford. Gifford won the battle for a reception with no yards after the catch. Throughout the game, Fischer was tight in coverage and did not give up many yards after the catch. However, Gifford did get behind him in the third quarter, but failed to make the reception as the ball was overthrown. Even though Fischer had tight coverage, he did not seem to be in a position to break up the pass. Fischer was good in run support, but in the first quarter, Phil King (#24) ran through his tackle. In the third quarter, right guard Bookie Bolin (#63) was able to block Fischer away from the run. But, in the fourth quarter, he shed the block of Bolin to assist on a tackle of Joe Morrison (#40) for a loss.

Fischer chasing the Cardinals’ Mel Gray

GAME: December 13, 1971 – Los Angeles Rams: 7.7
BOTTOM LINE: This was a television broadcast. Fischer played left cornerback in the game, but occasionally played the right side when the Rams put two receivers on the weak side of the line. In the first quarter, Fischer was tested deep in man coverage against Jack Snow (#84). Fischer got his hands on the ball, but failed to make the interception in the end zone. Later in the first quarter, Fischer was beat inside by the receiver, but the receiver failed to make the catch. Fischer had a nice breakup of a pass across the middle, also in the first quarter. In the second quarter, he was quick to react to a pass to a back, but over ran him and failed to make the tackle. In the third quarter, Fischer had very tight coverage of Snow and intercepted a Roman Gabriel (#18) pass. In the fourth quarter, Fischer made a good breakup of a pass.

GAME: December 22, 1973 – Minnesota Vikings: 7.3
BOTTOM LINE: Fischer played left cornerback in the game. In the first quarter, Fischer was badly beaten by Joe Gilliam (#42), but Gilliam failed to make the catch. Also in the first quarter, Fischer forced a fumble when he hit Fran Tarkenton (#10) on a scramble. Tarkenton recovered the fumble. In the second quarter, Fischer broke his ribs on a tackle of Oscar Reed (#32). Fischer left the game for a series, returned, and then left the game for good.

GAME: January 14, 1973 – Miami Dolphins: 7.5
BOTTOM LINE: This was a television broadcast. Fischer played left cornerback in the game. Very good in run support and was quick to react to the play. In the first quarter, he shed a pulling right tackle Norm Evans (#73) to knock Mercury Morris (#22) out of bounds for a loss. The play was negated due to a holding penalty on Miami, but Fischer made a very good play. In the second quarter, he made a nice tackle of Morris to get him out of bounds. In the third quarter, he brought down Larry Csonka (#39) in the middle of the field. A short time later, Csonka broke loose and ran down the middle of the field. Fischer was able to run him down, but bounced off Csonka on the attempted tackle. In pass coverage, Fischer played tight to the receiver. However, first quarter, Fischer was easily beat by Howard Twilley (#81) for a touchdown. Fischer was turned around and was not able to keep up on Twilley’s cut back. Fischer recovered to get his hands on Twilley, but Twilley muscled his way into the end zone. In the fourth quarter, Fischer showed excellent recovery speed to break up a pass to Twilley near the goal line.

GAME: December 18, 1976 – Minnesota Vikings: 7.3
BOTTOM LINE This film was a television broadcast that ended with 11:37 remaining in the game. Fischer played left cornerback in the game. Overall, he showed excellent coverage downfield and had an opportunity for an interception in the second quarter, but failed to make the catch. In the first quarter, tight end Stu Voigt (#83) pushed his way through Fischer’s tackle to score a touchdown. Fischer was not very aggressive with his tackle on the goal line. In the second quarter, Ahmad Rashad (#28) got behind Fischer for a reception. Fischer could not keep up with Rashad.

HISTORIC REPORTS GRADING SCALE

Hall of Fame
9.0 – Rare
8.5 – Exceptional to Rare
8.0 – Exceptional

Hall of Very Good
7.5 – Very Good to Exceptional
7.0 – Very Good
6.5 – Good to Very Good

Other
6.0 – Good
5.5 – Above Average to Good
5.0 – Above Average
4.5 – Average to Above Average

Matt Reaser is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and serves on multiple PFRA committees. He has written articles on football history and recently contributed towards a book on the 1966 Packers. He has researched high school, college and professional football. He is a former high school quarterback.

WEAKNESSES • His aggressiveness can get him in trouble • Tackling can be an issue

BOTTOM LINE Robinson showed excellent instincts, quickness and agility in his play. He is aggressive in reacting to the ball, but that can get him into trouble. He is quick to jump a route, but if his timing is not correct, the receiver gets the ball and makes a play, sometimes for a touchdown. However, when his timing is correct, he has a big impact on the outcome of the game. He is always around the ball and willing to make a play. He made excellent tackles, but there were times where he struggled in his tackling technique. Overall, an excellent player.

GAME: December 23, 1962 – Houston Oilers: 8.2 BOTTOM LINE: This film was a television copy, but some of the plays were missing. Robinson had an excellent game. He played right safety. He showed excellent quickness and instincts, and was always around the ball. In the first quarter, Robinson was in the vicinity to intercept a George Blanda (#16) pass, but it was just out of his reach. In the second quarter, Robinson made nice tackles of Billy Cannon (#20) and Bob McLeod (#81). In the third quarter, Robinson was in on tackles of Charley Tolar (#44) and Willard Dewveall (#88). However, on a pass to the end zone, Robinson jumped the route of Dewveall and missed. Robinson was too deep and did not react quick enough. The pass was completed for a touchdown. This was Robinson’s only noticeable mistake in the game. In the fourth quarter, Robinson was in on tackles of Dewveall and Cannon. He intercepted a pass on the Dallas two-yard line and returned it to the Dallas 37-yard line. He also broke up two passes in the quarter. In the first overtime period, Robinson was in on tackles of Cannon and Tolar. He also intercepted a pass in the middle of the field.

GAME: January 11, 1970 – Minnesota Vikings: 8.1 BOTTOM LINE: (Crippen: Overall Grade: 8.3) This game was a television broadcast. Robinson played free safety in the game. Due to the tight camera angles, the safety play was not always visible. The evaluations are based on what could be seen as the play progressed downfield. In the first quarter, Robinson made a hard tackle of John Beasley (#87) on a pass across the middle. In the second quarter, he was very quick to react to a fumble and recovered it. In the third quarter, Robinson was blocked and did not take a good angle on the goal line touchdown run by Dave Osborn (#41). Another negative in the game is that in the second half, he failed to wrap up on a tackle of John Henderson (#80), and Henderson was able to gain an extra nine yards. However, on the next play, he intercepted a Joe Kapp (#11) pass and returned it nine yards. Quick in coverage and quick to react to the play. Can be a hard hitter, but does not always wrap up on the tackle. This allowed Henderson to escape his grasp in the second half. Excellent instincts.

GAME: September 28, 1970 – Baltimore Colts: 8.3 BOTTOM LINE: This is a television broadcast. Robinson played free safety in the game. He displayed great instincts as was always around the ball and showed excellent play-making ability. In the first quarter, he played in the box for a handful of plays while Baltimore was in the red zone. Also in the first quarter, Robinson intercepted a Johnny Unitas pass when the receiver fell. Robinson returned it 15 yards. In the second quarter, he stepped in front of a Unitas pass for another interception, returning it 27 yards. In the second quarter, he recovered a fumble, which took down the sidelines for a touchdown. However, Robinson did have two negative plays in the second quarter. First, he missed on a tackle on a short pass to a back out of the backfield. Also, he misjudged a pass down the middle where he jumped to make a play on the ball, but the receiver caught it in front of him. This allowed the receiver to run past him for an extra ten yards. In the fourth quarter, Robinson intercepted an Earl Morrall pass on the last play of the game.

HISTORIC REPORTS GRADING SCALE

Hall of Fame 9.0 – Rare 8.5 – Exceptional to Rare 8.0 – Exceptional

Hall of Very Good 7.5 – Very Good to Exceptional 7.0 – Very Good 6.5 – Good to Very Good

Other 6.0 – Good 5.5 – Above Average to Good 5.0 – Above Average 4.5 – Average to Above Average

Matt Reaser is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and serves on multiple PFRA committees. He has written articles on football history and recently contributed towards a book on the 1966 Packers. He has researched high school, college and professional football. He is a former high school quarterback.

WEAKNESSES • Can lose his balance on occasion • Can get pushed back in pass protection • Defenders could stand him up, getting him to lose leverage

BOTTOM LINE Schafrath’s game had some deficiencies. In pass protection, he could get pushed back, beaten on the edge and lose his balance. However, it did not often result in negative plays. Defenders could get pressure on the quarterback, but did not sack the quarterback. He was effective in getting downfield to block on sweeps and screens. Was weak with his cut blocks. Struggled to maintain balance in pass protection.

GAME: December 27, 1964 – Baltimore Colts: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE The film is of poor quality. This film is a highlight film. As a result, not all plays are shown. Schafrath played left tackle and faced right defensive end Ordell Braase (#81). He was very good in both run blocking and pass protection. At one point in the third quarter, Brasse got around Schafrath and caused a fumble in the backfield. It was not shown how Brasse got around Schafrath. He may have released Brasse in order to block downfield, as he had on a few other plays in the game. The film did not show Schafrath getting beat, but it did show him getting pushed around and pushed back. Schafrath was knocked off balance on occasion. Very competitive. Very good athleticism to get out in front of screens and sweeps.

GAME: October 8, 1966 – Pittsburgh Steelers: 7.3 BOTTOM LINE: This is a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays are shown. Schafrath played left tackle and faced right defensive end Ben McGee (#60). Schafrath struggled at times in pass protection. McGee was able to get good penetration into the offensive backfield, especially on a bull rush. In the second quarter, Schafrath blocked McGee low. McGee jumped over him and pressured quarterback Frank Ryan (#13). Later in the second quarter, Schafrath did an excellent job picking up a stunting linebacker Rod Breedlove (#63). Schafrath was knocked off balance on a few occasions. Very good run blocking downfield. Schafrath left the game in the fourth quarter, when the game was well in hand. He was replaced by John Brown (#70). Overall, Schafrath was beaten around the edge, pushed back, thrown around and missed some cut blocks. However, none of this led to negative plays.

GAME: October 30, 1966 – Atlanta Flacons: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE: This is a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays are shown. Schafrath played left tackle and faced right defensive end Sam Williams (#88). Excellent downfield blocking. In the second quarter, he made a very good block out in front of a sweep. Very good in pass protection. However, there were times when he stood too straight up and lost leverage against the defender. He was repeatedly pushed back into the pass pocket, as well as knocked off balance.

GAME: September 21, 1970 – New York Jets: 7.0 BOTTOM LINE: Schafrath played left tackle. Depending on the formation, he faced either right defensive end Verlon Biggs (#86) or right defensive tackle John Elliott (#80). Schafrath was very good in run blocking. However, he was a little slow when pulling to the opposite side of the field to block on the sweep. He struggled in pass protection. Lateral movement was not smooth and he was slow to get into his stance, which made him relatively easy to knock off balance. On several occasions, the defender was able to get by him to pressure quarterback Bill Nelsen. In the first quarter, he made a good cut block on a screen pass. However, in the same quarter, he was run over by Biggs. He was repeatedly beat on the edge. With all of these struggles in pass protection, he did not give up a sack.

HISTORIC REPORTS GRADING SCALE

Hall of Fame 9.0 – Rare 8.5 – Exceptional to Rare 8.0 – Exceptional

Hall of Very Good 7.5 – Very Good to Exceptional 7.0 – Very Good 6.5 – Good to Very Good

Other 6.0 – Good 5.5 – Above Average to Good 5.0 – Above Average 4.5 – Average to Above Average

Matt Reaser is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and serves on multiple PFRA committees. He has written articles on football history and recently contributed towards a book on the 1966 Packers. He has researched high school, college and professional football. He is a former high school quarterback.

BOTTOM LINE A very good defensive back. Quick and aggressive. Always around the ball. Very good at reading the play and adjusting. A solid tackler and can take on the ball carrier one-on-one. His aggressiveness can get him in trouble. Receivers can get behind him to cause damage. There are times that he can recover quickly, but there are times when he is too far out of position. Very good instincts and competitiveness.

GAME: October 31, 1965 – Detroit Lions: 7.3 BOTTOM LINE: This was a NFL Play by Play Report film. Meador showed quickness and aggressiveness throughout the game. However, several times he was caught out of position or too far downfield to make a play. Receivers were able to get behind him. This was evident early in the game as Joe Don Looney (#32) ran past him for the first score of the game. Later in the first quarter, Terry Barr (#41) also got behind him to catch a touchdown pass. Meador showed excellent tackling skills. However, in the third quarter, Joe Don Looney ran through him for a touchdown. When in position, Meador was able to make a play. However, frequently, he was caught out of position and the Lions were able to capitalize.

GAME: September 25, 1966 – Green Bay Packers: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Meador played the weak-side safety position in the game. Overall, he played well. He showed excellent speed and mental awareness to always be around the ball. His speed was on display in the third quarter, when he chased down Paul Hornung (#5) to not only tackle him, but to strip the ball away from him for a fumble. He was quick to react to the play and was in on a few tackles. He was very good in run support. A very good game for Meador. He showed excellent quickness and aggressiveness.

GAME: December 18, 1966 – Green Bay Packers: 7.6 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Meador had a very good game. He was injured in the third quarter, but returned in the fourth quarter. In the first quarter, he chased down Elijah Pitts (#22) on a screen pass to knock him out of bounds. He made a good solo tackle in the second quarter, but had a few missed tackles throughout the game. In the third quarter, he was run over by Jim Taylor (#31). When he returned in the fourth quarter, he undercut a receiver to intercept a pass. He left the game again later in the fourth quarter. He showed very good competitiveness and quickness.

GAME: December 9, 1967 – Green Bay Packers: 7.6 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Meador played free safety throughout the game. He made an excellent touchdown-saving solo tackle on Donny Anderson (#44) in the first quarter. He also made another tackle later in the game to prevent a long gain. However, there were few plays of his shown in the film.

GAME: December 8, 1968 – Chicago Bears: 7.7 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. There were few plays of his shown in the film. Meador played right safety throughout the game. He showed very good mental awareness. He also had a very good 39-yard punt return in the second quarter.

GAME: November 16, 1969 – Philadelphia Eagles: 8.1 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Meador showed excellent quickness, speed and mental alertness. He made a few downfield tackles, but occasionally was sealed away from the play. This was seen twice in the second quarter. He had an outstanding third quarter. He showed excellent toughness on a fake field goal, where he ran the ball to the right and powered his way through a few defenders for a five-yard gain and a first down. Later in the quarter, Meador recovered a fumble by Tom Woodeshick (#37). Still in the third quarter, Meador cut in front of Leroy Keyes (#20) to intercept a pass and return it for a touchdown. His excellent third quarter made up for a few shortcomings earlier in the game.

GAME: October 26, 1970 – Minnesota Vikings: 7.7 BOTTOM LINE: This film was an original television broadcast. Meador played free safety throughout the game. The field conditions were rainy and muddy, making footing difficult. Meador showed excellent tackling skills throughout the game. He was consistently around the ball. In the first quarter, he was looked off by quarterback Gary Cuozzo (#15) on a touchdown pass to Bill Brown (#30).

HISTORIC REPORTS GRADING SCALE

Hall of Fame 9.0 – Rare 8.5 – Exceptional to Rare 8.0 – Exceptional

Hall of Very Good 7.5 – Very Good to Exceptional 7.0 – Very Good 6.5 – Good to Very Good

Other 6.0 – Good 5.5 – Above Average to Good 5.0 – Above Average 4.5 – Average to Above Average

Matt Reaser is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and serves on multiple PFRA committees. He has written articles on football history and recently contributed towards a book on the 1966 Packers. He has researched high school, college and professional football. He is a former high school quarterback.

• Excellent quickness and agility• Run blocking is exceptional • Can pull effectively and seal the blocks

WEAKNESSES

• Can get off-balance on pass blocking • Occasionally pushed back on a bull rush • Has a habit of not playing snap-to-whistle on pass plays

BOTTOM LINE

Kramer is excellent at run blocking, but not as good on pass blocking. Whether he is run blocking or pass blocking, he shows good hand placement. He missed many games in 1961 and 1964 due to injury. Also kicked field goals and extra points for the team in 1962-63 and 1968. He led the league in field goal percentage in 1962. Run Blocking: When pulling, he is quick to get into position and gains proper leverage against the defender. While staying on the line to run block, he shows excellent explosion into the defender and can turn the defender away from the runner. Pass Blocking: He can get pushed a little far into the backfield and lose his balance. He also has a habit of not playing snap-to-whistle. If a defender gets by him, he gives up on the play. He can also get high and flat-footed on pass blocking, which leads to his balance issues. When he sheds a blocker, he is good (not great) at picking up a new blocker. He also has trouble deciding who to block and sometimes makes the wrong decision. However, he is excellent when he is pulling to pass block on the screen. His skill and instincts are on par with his run blocking.

GAME: December 26, 1960 – Philadelphia Eagles: 7.5 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer showed excellent quickness and agility throughout the game. However, he did have issues with balance. He showed good drive and leverage in run blocking. In pass protection, he did not always finish the block or make the block when in position to do so. He frequently dove at defenders.

GAME: December 30, 1962 – New York Giants: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: This was a radio broadcast with available video footage shown. As a result, not all plays were shown. In fact, very few plays were shown. Depending on the blocking scheme, Kramer either faced Dick Modzelewski (#77) or Sam Huff (#70). In the first quarter, Kramer recovered a Jim Taylor (#31) fumble. After the play, he left the game for a few plays. He returned, but left a few more times throughout the game. In the second quarter, Kramer gave up a sack to Modelewski. Later in the quarter, he made an excellent block on Modelewski on the Taylor touchdown run. Also in the second quarter, he picked up a rushing Jim Katcavage (#75) to protect Bart Starr.

GAME: October 27, 1963 – Baltimore Colts: 8.1 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer had an excellent game against Jim Colvin (#75) of the Baltimore Colts. He showed excellent quickness and agility as a pulling guard. He was able to get good penetration on run blocking. He could also seal the block. Pass blocking was a little weaker as he occasionally got pushed back or lost his balance. In the first quarter, he blocked Colvin, then quickly shed him to block Jackie Burkett (#55). He also recovered an onside kick in the first quarter.

GAME: October 3, 1965 – Chicago Bears: 6.4 BOTTOM LINE: This was an NFL Play by Play Report film. Kramer hit the ground on a few occasions against Bob Kilcullen (#74). A lack of balance has been an issue for him. Also, competitiveness was lacking on a few occasions as he gave up on the play before the whistle. Kramer showed some waist bending. However, he did show good hand position throughout the game. He kept his knees bent and flexible ankles. He repeatedly turned his back toward the defender after initial contact. Not Kramer’s best game.

GAME: October 10, 1965 – San Francisco 49ers: 6.4 BOTTOM LINE: This was an NFL Play by Play Report film. Dan Grimm (#67) started. Kramer only played briefly toward the end of the first half. He did not play in the second half. Kramer showed good run blocking and pass blocking skills in the short time he was in the game. However, he also exhibited balance issues. He repeatedly fell to the ground after initial contact.

GAME: October 31, 1965 – Chicago Bears: 7.5 BOTTOM LINE: This was an NFL Play by Play Report film. Kramer had a rough start versus Bob Kilcullen (#74), but he improved as the game progressed. Toward the beginning of the game, Kilcullen beat Kramer to Kramer’s left, went around Kramer and straight to Bart Starr. As Kilcullen shed the block, Kramer stopped playing and watched Kilcullen run straight to Starr. A little later in the quarter, Kramer was pulling to the right. He failed to hit either defender in his path. However, as mentioned previously, he improved as the game progressed. He showed better run and pass blocking. Overall, he showed improved balance than in previous games. He also showed very good quickness, agility, explosion, foot placement and flexibility. Competitiveness was lacking in the beginning, but improved later in the game. In the first quarter, Kramer made a very good down block on Jim Taylor’s run.

GAME: November 21, 1965 – Minnesota Vikings: 8.3 BOTTOM LINE: This was an NFL Play by Play Report film. Exceptional game for Kramer. Few to no mistakes. He showed exceptional skill in all phases of his game. He was able to get good penetration on run blocking. He showed excellent pass blocking against Gary Larsen (#77). But, Kramer left the game in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Dan Grimm (#67).

GAME: December 19, 1965 – San Francisco 49ers: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: This was an NFL Play by Play Report film. Kramer struggled in the first offensive series against Charlie Krueger (#70). Krueger was able to get excellent penetration into the Packer backfield, including shedding Kramer’s block to get in on a sack of Starr. However, Kramer strengthened his skills after that series and put together an exceptional game. Few mistakes were made.

GAME: December 26, 1965 – Baltimore Colts: 7.9 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer faced Fred Miller (#76) for most of the game. However, in the third quarter, Miller was replaced by Guy Reese (#75). Kramer Held his own in both run blocking and pass protection throughout the game. However, there were two occasions where Miller bull rushed Kramer and got the better of him. On one of those occasions, Miller easily tossed Kramer aside. Kramer was out of action for a few plays in the fourth quarter. He was replaced by Dan Grimm (#67). There was no noticeable drop-off in the quality of play when Grimm was in for Kramer. However, it was only for a few plays.

GAME: September 10, 1966 – Baltimore Colts: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: Excellent game by Kramer. He showed quickness, agility and balance. Good drive and leverage. In run blocking, he got excellent penetration into the defense. On pass blocking, he maintained his balance and was very effective. On screen passes, he got outside quickly and sealed the block effectively.

GAME: September 18, 1966 – Cleveland Browns: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Overall, an excellent game by Kramer. However, I need to grade him slightly lower based on a play late in the fourth quarter. Matched up against Walter Johnson (#71), Kramer held him off momentarily. But, Johnson was able to get around him. Once Johnson got around him, Kramer stopped playing for a few seconds. To his credit, though, when Bill Glass (#80) was running unabated to Starr, Kramer kicked it in gear and blocked Glass. You never want to see a player stop playing before the whistle blows. Excellent hook and seal blocks.

GAME: September 25, 1966 – Los Angeles Rams: 7.6 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer’s run blocking was excellent in the game. His opponent was Merlin Olsen (#74). However, he did struggle at times in pass blocking. Olsen was able to get good penetration into the backfield and disrupt plays. Kramer did get help from center Ken Bowman (#57) and right tackle Forrest Gregg (#75) at times.

GAME: October 2, 1966 – Detroit Lions: 7.6 BOTTOM LINE: Alex Karras (#71) had a good day pass rushing against Kramer. On a bull rush, Karras was able to push Kramer back or push him to the side. On run blocking, Kramer did well. There was an instance late in the third quarter where Jim Taylor (#31) ran through the B gap. Kramer had Karras turned toward Taylor. Karras easily shed the block and stopped Taylor for minimal to no gain. Kramer was also aided on a few occasions by center Bill Curry (#50) in blocking Karras. Also, Kramer regularly pulled away from Karras. In the fourth quarter, Kramer gave up a sack to Karras.

GAME: October 9, 1966 – San Francisco 49ers: 7.9 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer had a good game against Charlie Krueger (#70). There was one instance where Krueger easily pushed Kramer aside on a pass rush. Kramer lost his balance and was out of the play. Otherwise, Kramer put together a solid performance.

GAME: October 16, 1966 – Chicago Bears: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: Bob Kilcullen (#74) and Dick Evey (#79) swapped DT positions throughout the game. The Bears also sprinkled in Frank Cornish (#73) at LDT in the fourth quarter. Kramer played well throughout the game. He especially had a great play against Cornish in the fourth quarter. On a pass rush, Kramer easily knocked Cornish to the ground and out of the play. However, in the first quarter, Kramer fell backwards to the ground out of his stance.

GAME: October 23, 1966 – Atlanta Falcons: 8.1 BOTTOM LINE Kramer had another excellent game. This time, against Karl Rubke (#74) of the Falcons. Very few mistakes. However, he did give up on a play in the first offensive series. The same series, he was tossed aside.

GAME: November 6, 1966 – Minnesota Vikings: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer had an excellent game. Very few mistakes. His primary responsibility was left defensive tackle Gary Larsen (#77). Kramer maintained excellent positioning and leverage in both the run and pass game. He was quick to pull and cover the sweep and screen pass. He lost his balance on a few occasions due to waistbending and not maintaining good leverage, but overall had a good base under him.

GAME: November 20, 1966 – Chicago Bears: 8.0 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer mainly lined up against Bob Kilcullen (#74), but the Bears also shifted Dick Evey (#79) and Frank Cornish (#73) into the left defensive tackle position. Overall, a very good game from Kramer. However, he did miss a few blocks on the power sweep. Also lost his balance a time or two. On pass blocking, Evey blew through the A gap and Kramer was slow to react.

GAME: November 27, 1966 – Minnesota Vikings: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE: Faced Gary Larsen (#77) at left defensive tackle. For the most part, Kramer had a very good game. Pass blocking was an issue on occasion, as he gave up on a play before the whistle and did a little waist-bending. Fortunately, it did not impact the game to any degree. Run blocking was excellent.

GAME: December 4, 1966 – San Francisco 49ers: 7.9 BOTTOM LINE: This film was more of a highlight reel and a play-by-play game film. As a result, not all plays were available. Of the plays I could see, Kramer did an excellent job against Charlie Krueger (#70). A few times, Kramer was knocked to the ground. However, the turf was very icy and players were easily losing their footing. I will not mark him down much for loss of balance at the iciest portions of the field. Kramer did miss a block on Krueger, who made a tackle for a loss.

GAME: December 10, 1966 – Baltimore Colts: 7.8 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer faced Fred Miller (#76) throughout the game. Miller was able to get a few plays against Kramer. On a passing play, he got around Kramer by tossing him aside. Kramer did not have a solid base and could not get leverage on him. Miller also was able to get penetration on Kramer when Kramer went low to block. Kramer missed hitting Miller squarely and Miller was able to get into the backfield and almost make a play. On a screen pass, Kramer went to block an outside defender, but missed the block.

GAME: December 18, 1966 – Los Angeles Rams: 7.7 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. For the most part, Kramer handled left defensive tackle Merlin Olsen (#74) well. However, there were a few issues in the game. When Kramer went low to block Olsen, Merlin was able to shed the block and make a play. An example of this was a handoff to Jim Grabowski (#33) in the second half. Kramer went low, Olsen pushed him aside and penetrated the backfield. Olsen hit Grabowski to force a fumble.

GAME: January 1, 1967 -Dallas Cowboys: 7.6 BOTTOM LINE: Not many plays were shown. In the third quarter, Larry Stevens (#77) went around Kramer and Stevens tripped over another player. Stevens had easily beaten Kramer and had a clear path to Starr until he tripped. The play resulted in a touchdown pass, but it was not a good play for Kramer.

GAME: October 22, 1967 – New York Giants: 8.1 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Kramer had an excellent game against left defensive tackle Jim Moran (#74). Both run blocking and pass blocking were excellent. On one occasion, he did not play snap-to-whistle, but he was competitive the remainder of the game. Kramer did exhibit waistbending on pass blocking on occasion.

GAME: November 5, 1967 – Baltimore Colts: 7.3 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Kramer did well on run blocking against Billy Ray Smith, Sr. (#74). However, he struggled against him in pass blocking. Smith was able to get deep penetration into the backfield, including getting in on a sack of Starr in the first half. The second half was more of the same. In the third quarter, Smith was able to get around Kramer for a sack of Starr. NOTE: The quality of the film is very poor.

GAME: December 9, 1967 – Los Angeles Rams: 7.4 BOTTOM LINE: This was a Game of the Week film. As a result, not all plays were shown. Kramer struggled in this game against Merlin Olsen (#74). In the first half, Kramer was called for holding as Olsen was pushing past him. Olsen regularly was able to get penetration into the backfield to disrupt plays. Kramer was also susceptible to getting knocked down.

GAME: December 15, 1968 – Chicago Bears: 8.2 BOTTOM LINE: Kramer only played a partial game against Frank Cornish (#73). In the fourth quarter, Kramer was replaced by Bill Lueck (#62). In the time that Kramer was in, he played well. No glaring issues were seen in his game.

HISTORIC REPORTS GRADING SCALE

Hall of Fame 9.0 – Rare 8.5 – Exceptional to Rare 8.0 – Exceptional

Hall of Very Good 7.5 – Very Good to Exceptional 7.0 – Very Good 6.5 – Good to Very Good

Other 6.0 – Good 5.5 – Above Average to Good 5.0 – Above Average 4.5 – Average to Above Average

Matt Reaser is a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and serves on multiple PFRA committees. He has written articles on football history and recently contributed towards a book on the 1966 Packers. He has researched high school, college and professional football. He is a former high school quarterback.

With 30 players drafted in the 1960s, scouts in the National Football League became well versed on the route to Grambling, La., home of the Grambling State University. In the fall of 1968, wide receiver Charlie Joiner [drafted in the fourth round by the Houston Oilers and voted into the NFL Hall of Fame

With 30 players drafted in the 1960s, scouts in the National Football League became well versed on the route to Grambling, La., home of the Grambling State University. In the fall of 1968, wide receiver Charlie Joiner [drafted in the fourth round by the Houston Oilers and voted into the NFL Hall of Fame after a 18-year career] and quarterback James Harris were putting on quite a show.

“We had seven or eight scouts at every game,” said Douglas Porter, who was the offensive coordinator from 1966-74. He was the head coach at Howard [1974-78 and Fort Valley State [1979-1996] before returning to live in Grambling. “With the players we had: running back Essex Johnson [1968, sixth round by Cincinnati], defensive back Delles Howell [1970, fourth round New Orleans] and receiver Frank Lewis [1971, first round Pittsburgh] there were always guys here. Jackie Graves [who became director of player personnel with the Eagles], Joe Perry [49ers], Emlen Tunnell [Giants], Bill Nunn [Steelers] and Elbert Dubenion [Bills] were some of the regulars. They’d come in on Wednesday and stay through Saturday.”

Still, there was no indication if Harris would be drafted.

Harris drops back to pass with the Buffalo Bills.

“The scouts were very discreet,” said Porter. “We thought there might be an opportunity with the Rams because of Tank Younger, but we really had no idea. He was planning on getting into coaching after college. In our mind, there was no doubt that Harris could be a starting quarterback in the NFL. With his arm, size and overall understanding of the game, we knew he’d be able to adapt to any offense. We had a great quarterback with Mike Howell [1964], but he didn’t have the size and the Browns [1965-72] made him a defensive back.”

The Howell brothers [Lane, Mike and Delles] grew up across from Harris on Atkinson St. in the Bryant’s Addition neighborhood and attended Carroll High School in Monroe, La. All three went to Grambling and played in the NFL. “Coach Rob [Eddie Robinson] felt he would be our first quarterback to make it into the NFL when he brought him in,” said Porter. “I had a chance to see Harris against Coleman High School [of Greenville, Miss.] and you could tell he was a special player. They beat Coleman which was quarterbacked by George Scott [who played first base for the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers] and the top team in Mississippi. We always tried to get as much information on any techniques we could use from all the scouts who came through. Coach Rob was always adding new things on offense and defense. We learned a lot from Dub Jones.” Jones was quarterback Otto Graham’s primary receiver when the Browns won titles in 1950, ’54 and ’55 and their offensive coordinator from 1963-68. Jones lived in neighboring Ruston, La., his son Bert Jones was a quarterback for the Baltimore Colts in 1973-81.

Two scouts responsible for Harris getting drafted were Bill Groman and Elbert Dubenion. Growing up in Tiffin, Oh., Groman lived at home while attending Heidelberg University, riding his bike one mile to campus. Setting a number of records in football and track, Groman was signed as a free agent by the Houston Oilers [1960]. Catching 72 passes and 12 touchdowns from George Blanda as a rookie [he was tied for second in the AFL with Don Maynard], he followed up his second year with 50 and 17 touchdowns. The Oilers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 for the title in 1960. They beat the Chargers 10-3 for the championship in 1961 [the Chargers moved to San Diego in ‘61]. The Oilers lost in 1962 to the Dallas Texans 20-17 in double overtime. Groman’s last two years were with the Bills 1964 and ‘65 championships; they beat San Diego 20-7 and 23-0. His roommate was quarterback Jack Kemp.

Dubenion, who grew up in Griffin, Ga., attended Bluffton University in Bluffton, Oh. Drafted in 1959 in the 14th round by the Browns, a leg injury prevented him from attending training camp. Picked up by the Bills as a free agent, Dubenion [1960-68] is ninth on their all-time receiving list with 294 receptions, and 35 touchdowns. Nicknamed ‘Golden Wheels’, in 1964 he was All-Pro catching 42 passes for 10 touchdowns and a 27-yard average. Dubenion became an area scout in 1969.

Groman, who spent 36 years scouting for the Bills, Blesto, Oilers and Falcons, was absolutely certain about Harris’ NFL makeup. “There was no question about James Harris,” said Groman, who was the Oilers director of player personal in 1977 and ’78. “We both gave him high grades and said he should be drafted in the top three rounds. If he was white and from a big school that’s where he would’ve been drafted. He was like a black Joe Namath, but bigger [at 6-4]. Harris had size, was strong, threw the ball very well, was able to take a hit and get away from the grasp of the defender. He was a leader and you could see what he was doing would translate well at the pro level. Harris and Charlie Joiner had a special chemistry, they complimented each other; they understood the offense and knew how to play the game. I traveled to games working [only] on the weekends then. I had the Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma area. I’d watch tape with coach Robinson; he offered me a job coaching the wide receivers. Going to Grambling or Jackson State [In 1968 Jackson State had 11 players drafted and five signed as free agents under coach Rod Paige, who later became the United States Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush] back then was like going to Alabama or USC today. You’d have eight- ten-twelve guys to watch who had the ability to play in the NFL. “When we gave our report to the general manager Harvey Johnson a couple weeks before the draft, he asked, ‘Can he play tight end?’ I said, ‘He’s not a tight end, he’s a quarterback!’ We kept pushing for him and it’s a good thing [area scout] Elbert Dobinion was there to back me up. I think he just got tired of us talking about Harris and finally pulled the trigger.”

"Around The Five Leagues in 15 Years" could be the title of a book about Johnnie Walton’s rollercoaster journey in professional football.

In 1969, a starting black quarterback in the National Football League was less common than a man on the moon. While James Harris was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the eighth round

“Around The Five Leagues in 15 Years” could be the title of a book about Johnnie Walton’s rollercoaster journey in professional football.

In 1969, a starting black quarterback in the National Football League was less common than a man on the moon. While James Harris was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the eighth round in 1969, Walton was signed as a free agent with the Rams. Growing up in Elizabeth City, N.C., a small port town on the Atlantic Ocean, football and farming were staples for the Waltons. Family roots were planted firmly when his great grandfather, John Walton, settled on that land in the 1890s. A dirt patch in the midst of a cornfield and other spots on their 19 acres served as playing fields. Engaging in scrimmages were brothers William, Nathan, Lonnie Walton and a few others in the neighborhood. Torn clothes, tattered in blood were how games concluded.

Watching brother Nathan, four years older, excel on the field, Walton observed his moves and the position. When Nathan earned a scholarship to Shaw University, Johnnie considered that was a route to pursue.

Sharing in chores was part of the daily diet. Uncle Bertrand Barclift owned 250 acres, outside the city limits, since the late 1940s, where he grew corn, cotton, peas and other produce along with two dozen pigs. Throughout the year, the Walton brothers and extended families members all assisted Barclift in a variety of tasks. The farm is still owned and run by his heirs. When chicken was on the menu, Walton or a sibling would go out in the back yard, grab one from the dozen, chop the head off, pluck feathers then boil or bake it for dinner.

Since retiring from football, Walton served on the Elizabeth City council.

During recess as a freshman at PW Moore High School, coach Walter Hunter observed Walton throwing the ball. Seeing a potential prospect, Hunter pulled him aside and issued an order, ‘Next year, you’re coming out for football!’ An enrollment of 400 students and a varsity team with 45 kids, PW Moore held their own against schools often double or triple their size in Winston-Salem, Raleigh and southern Virginia.

Hunter’s strategy opened Walton’s mind and generated a potent aerial attack. “We used a lot of trapping and play-action,” he said. “There weren’t many teams doing what we did. We were a very disciplined team. Coach could always adjust the offense to give us an advantage; everything he did made sense. Learning his offensive philosophy, at that age, gave me a great foundation as I progressed in the game.”

Junior year, they lost in the state semifinal. Leading a long drive for the go-ahead touchdown in the closing moments, Walton made an impression in Fayetteville, N.C. against E.E. Smith High School and star quarterback Jimmy Raye II, who went to Michigan State. A backup quarterback on their 1966 Rose Bowl team, Raye II started for the Spartans in 1967. Drafted in the 16th round by the Rams in 1968, he was moved to defensive back, traded to the Eagles in 1969 and ended up as an assistant in the NFL for 36 years.

“When we got the lead I was sure we were going to win,” said Raye. “I remember how poised Walton was in the last drive. There weren’t too many teams that beat me. Walton operated a two-minute offense you just didn’t see at that time. I remember watching him throw a deep out and outside breaking ball. He had a classic delivery; you could see there was a lot of talent there.”

After an impressive prep career, Walton committed to Norfolk State, but when his sister, Phyllis, passed away he opted to stay home and attend Elizabeth City State University. Starting midway through his freshman season, the Vikings finished 3-5. Coach Thomas Caldwell’s affection for the forward pass suited the angular 6-2, 160 pounder. Utilizing a pro-style offense, the Vikings were putting it in the air over 30 times a game. As Walton developed, he elevated the Vikings, who improved to 5-3, 8-2 and 9-1 in the Central Intercollegiate Association Conference.

Starting linebacker Willie Stewart knew Walton tipped the balance. “We had a couple of good running backs, Grover Armstead and Grady Sessome, and Eugene Snipes at wide receiver,” he said. “Johnnie always had a great arm. With the other guys coming in, they all complemented each other and our passing took off the last two years. I don’t remember us being behind in too many games. I think the guys on the team thought Johnnie had a shot at the NFL.”

Throwing for 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns, the Vikings came up a few percentage points short of qualifying for the playoffs Walton’s senior year. After the season, Caldwell received a call from a scout in Canada expressing an interest in Walton, but nothing materialized. Invited to an all star game for the best players in North Carolina, Walton pitched two touchdowns including a 50-yarder to Pete Davis. The next day, newspaper headlines called him the man with the million dollar arm.

Walton played with the USFL’s Boston Breakers

While Southwestern Athletic Conference powers like Grambling State University, Jackson State and Texas Southern had been sending players to the NFL since the late 1950s, the Central Intercollegiate Association Conference consisted of lower level Division II schools and barely registered for professional scouts.
Opening the door to the NFL was made possible because of Caldwell’s friendship with Rams’ renowned scout Tank Younger. No other team expressed any interest.

Attending an award dinner for black colleges in Washington, D.C., Walton met Younger and signed a free agent contract for $200 in January, 1969. “He [Younger] talked about how tough the situation was and what I’d have to go through to make it,” said Walton. “I thought it’s funny, I am the guy with the million dollar arm, who’s signing for $200. But I welcomed the challenge and was grateful for the opportunity. My mindset was I wanted to see what I could do against the best. The Rams community accepted me; I felt I was in a great position.”

Coming out of Grambling in 1949, Younger was signed as a free agent and became the first player from a historically black college to join the NFL. A 6-3, 225, bruising fullback, he was a four-time pro bowler, who helped the Rams to a 24-17 win over Otto Graham and the Cleveland Browns in 1951. The Rams were runner up in 1949, 1950 and 1955. After a ten-year career [1958 with the Steelers] he became a scout working for general manager Elroy Hirsch [the Rams Hall of Fame receiver from 1949-57]. Younger’s astute eye kept the roster well stocked with talented finds from traditional black and white college powers and remote outposts. He became the first black assistant general manager in league history with the San Diego Chargers in 1975.

Innate confidence in his powerful right arm, Walton wasn’t awed taking the field against Deacon Jones and the Rams vaunted Fearsome Foursome. “I always had the mentality of, ‘Why not me,’” he said.
Getting acclimated to the speed and hitting, he received a welcome to the NFL. “Deacon Jones came in and put me in the ground real good,” said Walton. “[Hall of Fame lineman] Bob Brown told me, ‘I got you Rook.’”
Brown punched Jones in the sternum knocking the wind out of him. Jones responded with, ‘I am going to save it for Sunday.’

Since stepping on the gridiron as a teenager, Walton had the fortune of learning from innovative, offensive minds. This time, he was paired with a master of the craft in offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda, whose meticulous instruction was instrumental in Walton’s digesting the nuances of defensive formations.

“I was a raw talent,” said Walton, who was behind pro bowler Roman Gabriel and veteran Carl Sweeten. “I was accurate and knew where to go with the ball, but I wasn’t familiar with the defensive schemes. Coach Marchibroda was one of the best. He taught me what to do with pre-snap reads and decision making. He wanted you to identify what the defense was doing at the line; was it press coverage or man-to-man. Recognize where you were going with the ball in your third step, then confirm and get rid of it in your fifth step.

“You could tell by the way the cornerbacks left or right foot was positioned. After you got the concepts down it takes care of itself. I was very fortunate Marchibroda was teaching then, it turned out to be a very positive experience.” Finding a comfort zone with the right coaching staff is often the difference in a successful career. At quarterback, it’s imperative.

Drafted with the second pick overall out of N.C. State in 1962 [he was the first pick of the Raiders in the AFL], Roman Gabriel spent time at linebacker, wide receiver and tight end during his first four years with the Rams. Getting his start in professional football with the Los Angeles Rams in 1957 under Sid Gillman, George Allen moved to the Chicago Bears joining head coach George Halas the next season. Architect of the Bears stifling 1963 championship defense, Allen became head coach of Rams in 1966 with Marchibroda as the offensive coordinator. Signing with the Raiders [1966], Allen made a visit to his house and persuaded him to stay with the Rams. [Gabriel’s option year required him to play for the Rams].

Taking Gabriel under his wing, he and Marchibroda put in long hours in the film room which translated to pro bowls in 1967, 68, 69 [with the Rams] and 1973 for the Eagles. Prepping at New Hanover High School in Wilmington, N.C., he was four years behind Sonny Jurgensen. The field is named Gabriel-Jurgensen in their honor. As a native North Carolinian, Gabriel felt a connection with Walton. “I thought John was ahead of the game [when he came to the Rams],” said Gabriel, who was the league MVP in 1969. “I was impressed with his arm and he had a good feeling of where to go with the ball. Ted taught him how to throw when his back foot hit the fifth step. John’s smart; he picked things up quickly. I think it was a case where coach Allen liked experience. I felt John had talent and you could see him progress. He was able to see the field better his second and third year.”

Farmed out to the Continental Football League with the Indianapolis Capitals that fall, Walton took over midway through the season and was named offensive MVP of the league throwing for 1,700 yards, which included 15 touchdowns in his last six games. They beat the defending champion Orlando Panthers 27-7 in the semifinal.

In the championship game, the Capitals were ahead 38-28 with a minute left, but the San Antonio Toros scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick and converted a field to force overtime. The Capitals came back and got a rushing touchdown in overtime for a 44-38 decision, with Walton adding two touchdowns during the game. At that time, he was the only black to quarterback a team to a professional football title.
“The Continental League was a great experience,” said Walton, who made $4,900 for the season. “There wasn’t an opening in Los Angeles and no one was going to trade for me. We had some good wide receivers [at Indianapolis] and I was able to put up some numbers. I applied what I learned with coach Marchibroda and it gave me confidence.”

“You learn a lot of the [NFL] business is about who you know, and who knows you,” said Walton.
A proper diet and ample use of the weight room added a well needed 30 pounds to his frame. 1970 he was on the taxi squad impersonating the opposing team’s quarterback while gaining valuable experience.

Under new coach Tommy Prothro [1971], Walton was having a strong preseason going into the last exhibition game. Dropping back to pass, Raiders 6-8, 275 pound defensive end Ben Davidson wheeled around from the blindside and tackle Tom Keating barreled through the middle making a sandwich out of Walton. The full force of 500 pounds-plus landed on top, cracking his sternum and separating his clavicle.
“I woke up on the sideline counting fingers,” said Walton. “They sedated me, took me to the hospital and put me in a body cast [for eight weeks].” Coming off injured reserve, Walton played on the taxi squad the rest of the season.

Growing up in Watts, Kermit Alexander spent Sunday afternoons watching the Rams offense slice through NFL defenses. Attending Mount Carmel High School and earning a scholarship to UCLA, he became an All-American running back. Alexander was San Francisco 49ers eighth pick in the first round of the 1963 draft. A six-year starter and kick-punt returner with the 49ers, he was traded to the Rams and became a starter at right corner back [1970] and free and strong safety [‘71]. Traded to the Eagles, Alexander was relegated to special teams [’72, 73] because of his involvement as a union representative. The next two seasons he was placed on the taxi squad. In 1976, he was released before the season started. “Johnnie had a tremendous arm, but was just short on experience, he was a great talent and teammate,” said Alexander.

Near flawless execution by Walton elevated a premier defense. Frequently staying after practice, he’d throw balls helping Alexander cover the post corner route. “He became an all pro taxi squad player, who made our defense better,” said Alexander. “Once he learned to read defenses and hit the alternate receiver, he performed at a high level. He was going against an all pro defense. The veterans loved him because he made us work our asses off. He was better than half the quarterbacks in the league; we told him to persevere until he got a chance. Johnnie had a great attitude; his perseverance is a tribute to his character. He was always upbeat and guys pulled for him. We called him Johnnie Cool, because he’d stand tall in the pocket and never get rattled. He kept our moral up which is another reason [coach] Allen kept him. Allen recognized the defense needed guys prepared to play; he wanted to win and didn’t have to teach. Johnnie was very adaptable; he had to be to imitate all the opposing quarterbacks. I think his [over-the-top] delivery-motion was a lot like [Johnny] Unitas. He had a very strong arm with tremendous touch, long and short. He could make every throw.”

Released after the preseason in 1972, a team from the Canadian League called and asked Walton to come up and tryout. “My mindset was, if I can’t play against the best, I don’t want to play,” he said. It was a long three day drive back to Elizabeth City in his new Toronado. He spent the season working as a volunteer with his former high school and college team. Oddly enough, Harris, who sat out the 1972 season after being let go from the Buffalo Bills, was signed by Younger and ended up playing an integral role bringing the Rams close to a Super Bowl [1974] as they lost 14-10 to the host Minnesota Vikings, in the championship game. Named All-Pro, Harris posted a 21-6 record as a starter; he was with Rams four of his 10 years in the league.
“I first heard about John Walton when I visited Michigan State [in 1965] and Jimmy Raye was my host,” said Harris. “He told me there was a great quarterback at Elizabeth City. I saw John in an exhibition game. He had a good delivery, was accurate, poised in the pocket with a big-time NFL arm, all the things you look for in a quarterback. I thought he was a cut above the rest.”

During the fall of 1973, Walton moved to Columbus, Ohio and got a job with the Ohio Youth Commission. In the afternoons he practiced with the Columbus Barrons of the Midwest Football League and coach Perry Moss. Starting with 45 guys, the number quickly dropped under 30. Games were played in high school stadiums with less than a couple thousand fans. One player was cut after getting lost and ending up at the wrong school.

While much of the action surrounding the team was dysfunctional, Walton took over the offense, putting up quality numbers and gaining valuable reps. Trying out for the Chicago Fire [of the World Football League] in the spring of 1974, he was released and out of football as former Bear Virgil Carter was named the starter. When the Florida Blazers moved from Orlando, Fla. and became the San Antonio Wings [spring 1975], they hired Moss as their coach. Bringing in Walton, he issued a message that was music to his ears. “The position belongs to you. It’s yours until someone takes it away,” he said. “That was a great feeling, it was encouraging; I’d never been told that before.”

“Moss was an offensive genius,” said Walton. “He had a great temperament and was real easy to work with.”
Implementing three-four wide receiver sets, Walton lifted the Wings’ aerial attack with 2,405 yards, 19 touchdowns and a 96.3 passer rating, leading the league in passing, he received All-Pro nomination. At 7-6 and undefeated at home, the Wings were anxiously awaiting a trip to Hawaii when the league folded [Oct. 22, 1975].

As starting middle linebacker for the Vikings [1965-70, including the Super Bowl IV loss to the Chiefs], Lonnie Warwick had seen his share of great quarterbacks. Taking the field, the hard-nosed, grizzled veteran was in for a surprise. “The first day of practice coach Moss said to me, ‘Lonnie, we got a guy who can really throw the ball.’ Man was he right,” said Warwick. “I was so amazed how good Johnnie was. I didn’t think anybody could throw like him; he was the best quarterback in the league by far. I said, ‘We got us a QB; we’re going to win some games! I played against [Johnny] Unitas many a time; he was so accurate it was unreal. Johnnie Walton reminded me of Unitas with his high, overhand release that was hard for defensive linemen to block. He could throw the deep ball with such a tight spiral and was very accurate. Coach Moss was an offensive genius. He said, ‘I like your attitude,’ and let me take over and call the defense. ‘All you have to do is hold them to a fewer points than we score.’ Johnnie and I would eat lunch together and he’d pick my brain about what teams were doing defensively. When the ball was snapped, he knew what to do and how to beat them. Our offense was almost impossible to stop. We had a good core of linebackers, if we had a few more linemen, we wouldn’t have lost a game. Our first 22 players were very good. I thought we could’ve beaten some of the bottom teams in the NFL.”

Emphatic about Walton’s ability, Warwick laments a career that could’ve been. “I would’ve loved to see Moss get an NFL job and bring Walton with; that would’ve been ideal,” he said. “He had an offensive mind like [49ers coach Bill] Walsh; he loved scoring points.” The margin for entry into the NFL was minute in the 1960s and’70s; becoming a starter hinged on an odd set of variables.

Tired of being broke in college, Warwick departed Tennessee Tech during winter break of his junior year and went to Douglas, Az. Laying track with a crew for the Southern Pacific Railroad, he was making $9.10 an hour on the night shift. Vikings director of player personnel Joe Thomas had stopped at Cookeville, Tn. and the film on Warwick caught his eye. The coach told him where to look. One day, a man rode over 30 miles down a dirt road on a scooter carrying a telegram from Western Union. “I thought someone had died,” said Warwick, who has lived in Mount Hope, West Virginia where he was born and raised since the early 1980s. The contract said, if you’re interested in playing for the Vikings, call back by 5 p.m. I hopped on the back of the scooter with this little Mexican guy, went back and called Thomas. I asked for a $10,000 signing bonus. He said no, so I signed for $9,500. I took a cut in pay and went straight to training camp.”

After a year on the taxi squad, Warwick started and called the defensive signals, while leading the team in tackles four of the next five years. Epitomizing the Black-and-Blue Division middle linebacker, Warwick was a key component as the Vikings defense took shape and became dominant in the late 1960s and early ‘70s.
Starting nine games while battling injuries in 1971 and ’72, he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons and played two years behind Tommy Nobis. Warwick assisted Washington Redskins coach George Allen in 1976 and 77. Calling friends after the WFL folded, Warwick made a point of detailing Walton’s abilities. “I talked with Jim Finks [general manager for the Vikings 1964-73, Chicago Bears ’74-82, Saints ’86-92], the Rams and Redskins,” he said. “They all said to send film. I really don’t know if they followed up or not. Could Johnnie have started in the NFL and been successful? Oh gosh yes! It was hard to break into the NFL, especially if a coach didn’t know you. You had to really know the system and teams usually went with the guy they had. I saw a lot of guys that I thought could play in the league come and go. With the roster limit [of 40 and five on the taxi squad] they just didn’t get picked up. If Johnnie was coming out [of college] today, he’d have a 15-year career in the league. I played against Unitas, Bart Starr and Joe Namath; Johnnie could do the same thing. He was a rhythm passer who could absolutely thread the needle. He threw a beautiful spiral that was easy to catch. If we’d had Johnnie on those Vikings teams in the late 1960s and early 70s, I don’t know how many Super Bowls we’d have won. After seeing what he did in the WFL, I could never understand why someone did not take him right from there. He was already a polished player. How come he didn’t catch on and become a star in the NFL I don’t know? Maybe it’s me and that I liked him too much.”

Wings defensive coordinator Larry Grantham, who was a five-time pro bowler and signal caller as a linebacker for the New York Jets [1963-72, New York Titans 1960-62], was equally impressed with Walton.
“[Perry] Moss was a master with play-action passing, he spread people all over the field and Johnnie did a great job executing the offense,” said Grantham. “He was very accurate and could put the ball wherever it needed to be thrown.”

Extenuating circumstances that resembled a Three Stoogies episode came into play, following the 1975 season.

“I really thought Johnnie could go to an NFL team and start; I thought he had a great future,” said Grantham. “He’d gone through the learning process and was ready to play.

“The NFL looked down on the WFL. We tried to help a number of our players get placed with NFL teams. Everyone said, ‘Send film.’ We couldn’t get film from opposing teams and nobody could find the film from our own games. I called the Jets, but they were set at quarterback [Joe Namath was in his last year and Richard Todd was their first round pick].

“In pro football, when you’re on the outside looking in as a quarterback, it’s hard to get in unless you have a great college history behind you.

“I think the stigma of a black quarterback in the NFL was gone then, but for some of the southern teams it was still a no-no. We had a contact with our line coach Del Williams [Saints offensive lineman 1967-73]. Williams tried to get Walton there [with New Orleans], but couldn’t do it. We gave the Saints information on Walton, but when they found out he was black the conversation got real cold. They didn’t say it, but they whispered it.”

The Saints starting quarterbacks in the 1976 season were Bobby Douglas [six games] and Bobby Scott [eight games]. Archie Manning was sidelined after corrective surgery on his right shoulder.

Dick Vermeil, who was the special teams coach with the Rams in 1969 and offensive assistant in 1971-73, was making a national name as an offensive mind. In his second year at UCLA, he took the Bruins to the Rose Bowl [1976, for the first time in a decade] where they beat top-rated and undefeated Ohio State 23-10.

Moving into the NFL, he understood Walton’s professional makeup.

“Coach Vermeil called and said, ‘I am the head coach and he’d love for me to come to camp and tryout as a backup,” said Walton.

A strong showing in training camp [1976] put him behind Gabriel [traded to the Eagles in 1973 and retired after 77] and Mike Boryla when the season started.

“I understood the terminology, knew what defenses to look for and became good at it,” he said. “I developed a good relationship with the coaches.”

Alexander said the difference in Walton’s game was considerable.

“Johnnie read defenses well, was able to adjust and make the right calls,” he said. “He was capable of leading a team. He could’ve started for a few teams [at that point].

On the field, Walton’s mettle was palpable.

“Johnnie’s big change was his confidence in himself,” said Vermeil. “When you are confident, the spin off is you are also more accurate. I think it took awhile for him to really believe he belonged in the NFL. He gradually developed an attitude, ‘I can play’ and demonstrated it every day he came to practice.”

Placed on the inactive list after four games in 1977, Walton had a strong camp in ‘78, but the Eagles had traded for Ron Jaworski in 1977 [the Rams drafted Jaworski in 1973 in the second round] and considered him the future.

“I competed well in seven-on-seven drills and felt I was right with Jaworski [in 1978 and ‘79],” he said.

Since 1966, the Cowboys had been the dominant team in the NFC East winning the conference 11 times. The Eagles were 2-19 against Dallas and hadn’t won there since 1965. By 1979, the Eagles were anxious to prove they belonged at the top of the ladder. Coming in with a three-game losing streak, they prepared for a mid-November Monday night tilt. Vermeil was 0-6 versus the Cowboys and there wasn’t much money bet on his squad. Meeting with the team Sunday night, he woke the 6-4 Eagles up stating they’d beat the Cowboys in another 24 hours.

With 1:35 left in the half, Jaworski received a hard hit by Cowboys defensive end Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones. Walton was summoned from the bench. A fumbled punt gave the Eagles great field position and Walton followed up connecting with Charlie Smith in the corner of the end zone, for a 29-yard touchdown. After an Eagles interception, Tony Franklin converted a 59-yard field goal as they went on to a 31-21 victory.

Vermeil didn’t hesitate with Walton.

“I was the offensive coordinator and called the plays,” said Vermeil. “I was asked after

the game about having Walton go in and putting the ball in the air.

“I believed he’d be successful; I knew he’d perform well because he’d done it in practice all season. I stayed with the game-plan to throw this specific pattern when he

went in. He fired a difficult corner pattern for a touchdown that was right on the money.”

As the Eagles sideline erupted, the shift in energy was evident as the teams filed into

the locker room.

“The stadium was quiet as a city morgue,” said Vermeil. “That was the first time we’d beaten them and it gave us momentum for the rest of the season.”

Going 5-1 the rest of the way, the Eagles had a 24-17 loss to the Cowboys. Tying for the NFC East title, they beat the Chicago Bears 27-17 in the wild card game, but lost to Tampa Bay 24-17 the next week. The following season, they lost to the Raiders in the Super Bowl.

Walton’s steadfast approach made an impression on Herman Edwards.

“Johnnie taught me about professionalism,” said Edwards, who was the Eagles’ starting right cornerback from 1977-85 and head coach with the New York Jets [2001-05] and Kansas City Chiefs [2006-08]. “As the scout team quarterback, he was always prepared and didn’t make mental mistakes. If anything happened he was able to enter the game cold and show up big for us. I think everyone knew we were in good hands [against Dallas] and it was fun watching him play. The game was never too big for him.

“Practice for him was like a game. He’d come out and try and wheel-and-deal; he was constantly pressuring our defense and we had a very good defense. He challenged us all the time and it helped me become a pro football player.

“Johnnie threw one of the prettiest balls I’ve seen. We called him Smooth because he was never in a panic and always kept his composure. He was a classic pocket quarterback; he read the defense and got rid of it.

“At that time, some teams had reservations about a black quarterback and some didn’t. There was a mindset and perception about the position. There were other positions that were tough [for blacks] to play in the league. There was still an Old Guard in the league. The NFL has evolved and it’s a different league now. It’s a level playing field as well as college football. The best players are put on the field to have it play out. We’ve come a long way.”

When the year ended, Walton was offered the head coaching position at his alma mater. He accepted, opting to retire.

“Coach Vermeil tried to talk me out of it and said the door was open if I changed my mind, but it was a decision I made,” said Walton, who taught at ElizabethCity Middle School through most of the 1970s in the offseason. In 1978 and ’79, he assisted with his alma mater’s football team in the spring semester. “It’s nice to have options. It was a great opportunity to go back home and I never was a money person.

“I knew the Eagles were headed to the Super Bowl, I was not sure how long it would take. Looking back, it’s a decision I regret, but that’s what decisions are about.”

Walton’s second year, the Vikings qualified for the DII playoffs. Flying into Marquette, Mich., at the end of November, the snow, cold and opposition were overwhelming as they lost 55-6.

“When we landed, all you could see was snow,” he said. “We had the wrong shoes, the wrong everything; it didn’t go well.”

Dr. Jimmy Jenkins, current president of Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. was chancellor at Elizabeth City State University [1977-95] and responsible for hiring Walton.

“Johnnie was a great role model and example for our players,” said Dr. Jenkins. “He proved what determination, tenacity and hard work can do and what happens when you take advantage of your opportunities and never giving up. That resonated with our athletes. They knew Johnnie was someone who did it on a big stage.

“He has a great name in Elizabeth City. He’s the boy who made good, but didn’t forget his roots. He came back and passed it forward.

“Johnnie and his siblings were overachievers. They were dedicated and ambitious. We hit if off well. The thing I stressed and he understood was that we wanted to have student-athletes, not people training for the NFL. My views about the classroom were consistent with his.”

Stewart, who went on to become a coaching icon at Anacostia High School in Washington, D.C. retiring in 2009, kept up their friendship. Coming down periodically in the offseason, he soaked up all Walton’s offensive acumen.

“Our coaches drilled and drilled John to make the right reads and understand where the primary and secondary receivers were,” said Stewart. “The defenses weren’t that sophisticated. Johnnie had all the tools he just didn’t have the fine points until he got to the pros. You could see how he developed [in professional football] after he refined his game.

“When I saw him play in the USFL [against Federals in Washington, D.C.], I said, ‘That’s the guy I remember from college.

“Johnnie’s a real country boy. I always went down there [to Elizabeth City] in the offseason to pick his brain. He was very helpful showing me what they did [offensively] with the Rams and Eagles’ passing game. I was able to use the three and five step drops and avoid the blitzes. It was beautiful. It worked perfect for us because we had a smaller line.

“I think the reason John made it was he loved to play that much. I don’t think it mattered that he was out of the NFL. His knowledge of the game always grew from his experiences.”

When the USFL got going in the spring of 1983, former Eagles receivers coach Dick Coury was hired by the Boston Breakers as head coach and general manager.

A three-sport athlete at Athens High School in Ohio, Coury, at 5-9, 150 pounds, had dreams of playing for Notre Dame. A week into preseason practice, coach Frank Leahy sent a message through Coury’s roommate, running back Jack Landry.

“Leahy said he was afraid I’d get hurt; it was the nicest thing I’d heard,” said Coury, who graduated with a physical education degree [1951] and went into coaching. Earning his way through the ranks, he first served as head coach of Mater Dei High School [in Santa Ana, Calif., going 85-9-5] where he tutored John Huarte, who went on to win the Heisman trophy at Notre Dame [1964] and a eight-year career in the NFL.

There was no question who he wanted as his starting quarterback.

“Johnnie was the first guy I called. I knew he was the guy we needed to lead the team; I

had no interest in anybody else,” said Coury. “As soon as you watched him work out you could see how talented he was. At the time, you couldn’t find many guys that threw like him. Johnnie was phenomenal with the go route, he could hit a receiver in full stride as good as anyone. Once you met Johnnie, you knew right away he’s the guy you want to build a team around. His attitude, the way he worked in practice and understanding of the offense, were what you wanted in your quarterback. We gave him the option to audible because we trusted him that much.”

It was a special time for Coury who had his sons, Steve and Tim, on the staff. Steve coached the wide receivers and Tim, who handled public relations, was on the field for the games.

Someone who knows quite a bit about quarterback play was Breakers co-owner Randy Vataha. Grabbing 89 passes and 12 touchdowns from Heisman trophy winner, Jim Plunkett, at Stanford over two years, the duo were instrumental in leading the Cardinals (9-3) to a 27-17 Rose Bowl victory over Ohio State. His 10-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter helped seal the win, which denied the Buckeyes (9-1) a national title.

A 17th round pick by the Rams, he was released after preseason. An encouraging word from Plunkett got Vataha a tryout with the New England Patriots. Making an immediate impact, he was fifth in receptions with 51 catches and 17 yard average. [The Raiders Fred Bilentnikoff was the NFL leader with 61. Bilentnikoff and Vataha tied for second with nine touchdowns. Miami’s Paul Warfield led the league with 11]. From 1971-76, Vataha caught 178 passes, he also led the team with 46 receptions in ‘75.

Oddly enough, in the 1971 Hall of Fame game, Walton threw two touchdowns passes against the Houston Oilers. The first one was to Vataha on a post pattern.

“When Dick [Coury] told me who they were bringing in at quarterback, I liked the idea of a guy who spent time at the pro level,” said Vataha, who is president of Game Plan LLC in Boston, Ma. “Being away from the game that long, you wonder if his instincts and reaction time were up to speed.

“Once I saw him throw the ball and how he reacted in the offense, it quickly dispelled any concerns I had. The adjustments Walton made were immediate. You have to give Dick a lot of credit for taking the steps to get him here. We were very fortunate to have Johnnie, he was a great leader.

“We had some great quarterbacks in our league [Jim Kelly, Steve Young], Walton showed he could compete with any of them.

“Could he have that type of success at the NFL level? From my observation, I think Walton had all the pieces to succeed as a NFL starter. But if I had the answer I’d be making a lot of money as a personnel director. It’s a strange animal at the highest level; you really need the right opportunity.”

Throwing the ball in practice at Elizabeth City State kept Walton’s arm well tuned. He didn’t miss a beat. Passing for 3,772 yards with 20 touchdowns and completing 56 percent Walton was second in the USFL in yards and touchdowns. The Breakers went 11-7 finishing second in the Atlantic Division behind Philadelphia, who lost in the championship to the Michigan Panthers, 24-22.

A midseason classic at Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University against the Panthers, the Breakers drove 76-yards to the two-yard line before time expired in a 28-24 loss. Providing plenty of excitement, Walton was 37-of-48 for 423 yards and three touchdowns [a record at the time].

Picked to finish last, the Breakers dropped three games by a total of 14 points, but rallied going 6-2 missing the playoffs by one game. They had the third best offense in the league.

One of the highlights was beating Jim Mora’s Philadelphia Stars 19-17 in Boston snapping their eight-game win streak. Driving the field, they were in position on the 14-yard line. Dropping back, Walton uncoiled a fastball that ricocheted off Charlie Smith’s left hand and into the arms of Frank Lockett for the game-winner. A month earlier at Philadelphia, they lost 23-16 with Walton just missing a potential game-tying pass, also on the final play.

Carl Peterson, tight end and special teams coach with the Eagles [1976-82], general manager of the Philadelphia Stars and general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs [1989-2008], was well versed with Walton and how the USFL opened the field for dozens of players to showcase their talents.

“John had one of the strongest arms and was a person of great character,” said Peterson. “He threw a beautiful tight spiral, the same type of ball Warren Moon threw. He had a stronger arm than Gabriel [at that time] and Boryla. His arm was similar to Jaworski’s, but with a tighter spiral.

“Dick [Coury] wanted veteran guys he was comfortable with and John ended up doing a great job; I was happy for John.

“I remember the loss distinctly [at Boston]; it was very disappointing. We thought we won, but John brought them back and throws a great pass and they win. He was the difference in the last drive.

While fans poured onto the field and the Breakers celebrated in the end zone, “We ran for the locker rooms,” said Peterson.

Guys were taking their pads off and there was a knock on the door. It was the referees insisting the team come back out for the extra point. “I said listen, I am not going to take the team back out I don’t care what the league does,” said Peterson, who was fined $10,000 for his comments. “Jim Mora felt the same way.

“The USFL was a great league that accomplished a great deal. It allowed guys to resurrect or continue careers for a lot of young aspiring players. There were many guys who went onto the NFL to have great and even Hall of Fame careers.”

Moving to New Orleans for their second season, Walton put up 3,500 yards [second most total yards in the league] and 17 touchdowns. He posted 93.3 and 95.4 passer ratings for his two years in the USFL. Walton’s numbers from the WFL, Eagles and USFL were 10,069 yards, 59 touchdowns and 62 interceptions.

“Our offense was similar to the one we had with the Eagles,” said Coury, who was named Coach of the Year in 1983. Now 84, he’s retired and living in San Diego, Ca. “We used a lot of spread formation, pack rolls, drop back and play action. John’s leadership was outstanding. He had a strong arm, was very accurate with the short passing game and read defenses well. We had tremendous faith in him. He dominated the league and was great from day one for two years.

“John played very well with the Eagles, but Jaws [Jaworski] was a hell of a quarterback. He should’ve played in the NFL longer than he did.”

Making it a habit to drive the length of the field when the game was on the line, Walton earned the respect of everyone in the league. Breakers’ offensive coordinator Gabriel was effusive about Walton’s command of the position.

“John was a great leader,” he said. “Our offensive line wasn’t the greatest, but he stood in the pocket like a pro; he had no fear.

“Nobody expected us to be in the playoff hunt. John was amazing, without him we never would have been close. I trusted his judgment as much as mine. We put the game plan in together.”

Raised in the Baptist church and a man of faith, Walton never complained about his musical chairs positions across the country and felt God always had an assignment. “You never know how life takes its course,” said Walton. “It was in the back of my mind to prove I could play at that level. This was the last opportunity, against great competition and I decided to give it a shot. I felt I was at my peak and I had a chance to be a starter.” The Breakers’ offense was an ideal fit.

“We used the run-and-shoot which I was familiar with,” said Walton. “It was passer friendly which was perfect for me. We had Smith and Lockett as receivers and [former Cincinnati Bengal] Dan Ross at tight end. Not everybody gets a chance to do something they love. The only thing you can ask is a chance to prove what you can do.”

Never short on last second heroics during his two-years, Walton came up big against the Chicago Blitz in the Superdome in 1984 before 43,692 fans. Engineering the Blitz was former Bears quarterback Vince Evans, who played eight years with the Oakland Raiders [1987-95 after seven with the Chicago Bears, 1978-83]. Tied at 35 in overtime, wide receiver coach Steve Coury called a pump-and-go route. Dropping back to the 50-yard line, Walton rifled a rope over Lockett’s right shoulder, just inside the 10-yard line for the game-winner, 41-35. He finished 29-of-43 for 440 yards and four touchdowns.

Packing the proper punch, Walton’s easy touch carried weight.

Buford Jordan, who led the team in rushing [1,276 yards] and was third in receiving [45], knew his instruction was invaluable.

“I caught 12 passes my entire career in college [at McNeese State],” said Jordan. “Johnnie knew where everybody on the offense was supposed to be. He took me aside and threw the ball with me after practice every day, running routes and drills until I was comfortable. If anyone had a question, Johnnie would have the answer. The way he explained each situation made it real easy to understand.

“A lot of times during the games there were really tight spots, on a seam route or swing pass, but Johnnie would put it in where you didn’t lose stride. When he got hurt, everything went down hill. [A knee injury against the Birmingham Stallions knocked Walton out for a couple games]. The Breakers, who were 5-0 at that time, finished the year 8-10.

“He was a very humble person. I patterned myself after him. There were a lot of guys in the NFL who were better than me, but didn’t have it mentally and didn’t want to study the mental side. That was the difference in my career.”

Switching to fullback with the Saints [1986-92], Jordan carved out a nice career paving the way for Rueben Mays, Dalton Hilliard and a few others. A native of Iota, La., he now lives in Kenner, La., and owns Rock Hard Performance Training. In 2011, Jordan was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Rehabbing an injured knee, Coury asked Walton to assist the Breakers as quarterback coach, when the team moved to Portland for their third season.

Walton got back into coaching for one year when the World League of American Football put together the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks [1991]. Gabriel was hired as the head coach and brought Walton in as offensive coordinator.

Unlike most of his former teammates, Walton says he’s in great shape and never had a major surgery over the course of his career.

“I’ve been quite fortunate,” he said. “When you walk behind Roman Gabriel [seven knee surgeries and one reconstruction], you hear a constant clickety-clack.”

Retiring last January after teaching health and physical education at an alternative school, Walton is enjoying the gentle southern pace with his lovely wife, Earline, who was a year behind him in high school. His father, Booker Walton, celebrated his 95th birthday Jan. 28.

Walton served on the Elizabeth City council the last 10 years. He ran for mayor in 2013 the last election and lost by 300 votes [1,600-1,300]. His five children are in Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte and Baltimore and visit frequently.

“I don’t want to spend time in traffic,” said Walton, who always returned to Elizabeth City in the offseason. “I never liked the hustle and bustle of the big city.”

Family ties have always carried weight. The annual summer family reunion has over 250 relatives, who come in for the festival the third week in July.

On Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, 2014, members of the Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) gathered for their Biennial Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. They traveled from all over the country, and were also joined by two members from Mexico City and a member from Canada. Hosted by the Cleveland Browns, the meeting

On Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, 2014, members of the Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) gathered for their Biennial Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. They traveled from all over the country, and were also joined by two members from Mexico City and a member from Canada. Hosted by the Cleveland Browns, the meeting was dedicated to honoring the 1964 NFL Championship team of the Browns. “The PFRA meetings are always great, but meeting as guests of the Cleveland Browns was unprecedented. The organization has come a long way,” said PFRA president Mark L. Ford.

The PFRA is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to pro football history. Incorporated in 1979, the PFRA has steadily grown to over 400 members in 10 countries. Six times a year, they publish a magazine called The Coffin Corner. In it, the PFRA tells the stories of the players, teams and leagues that made professional football the game that it is today.

The Friday night festivities started at the Cleveland Browns’ practice facilities with a speech from longtime Cleveland Sportswriter and Radio/TV analyst Tony Grossi. Currently, Grossi is a Browns and NFL analyst with WKNR 850/ESPN Cleveland, SportsTimeOhio and ESPNCleveland.com. Prior to that, he was the Browns beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Since 1994, he has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Grossi took time to talk about his career and the Hall of Fame selection process. The bulk of the questions from the audience were directed toward the Hall of Fame.

The next guest speaker was Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dave Robinson, who currently lives in Ohio. Robinson played for the Green Bay Packers from 1963 through 1972, before finishing his career with the Washington Redskins. He was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s. Robinson talked extensively about his career under Lombardi, as well as the Hall of Fame. Robinson is on the Board of Directors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The final speaker of the night was Gregg Ficery, who spoke on The Birth, Death and Resurrection of Pro Football. It was a discussion focused on his great-great grandfather – Bob Shiring – who played for the strongest teams of early professional football.

The evening ended with a tour of the Cleveland Browns’ practice facilities. The Browns gave the group unprecedented access to their facilities, including access to the weight room, locker room, both the indoor and outdoor practice fields, and the administrative offices. Tour guide Tony Dick provided incredible stories on the construction of the facility, the filming of Draft Day (featuring Kevin Costner), and other items throughout the facility.

Saturday morning, the group met at First Energy Stadium in downtown Cleveland for the business portion of the meeting. Topics of discussion included an update on membership, an update of PFRA Football Publications and a discussion of the PFRA’s Hall of Very Good. It concluded with a discussion of the next meeting location: Green Bay, Wisconsin. The meeting will be held in 2016, but the exact date has yet to be determined.

The session continued with a speech by Cleveland Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto. He is a nine-time winner of the Ohio Sportswriter of the Year award and has been inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame. He is also the author of over 20 books, including Browns Town 1964, a history of the Browns’ 1964 championship season. His presentation focused on the history of the team, with a focus on the 1964 NFL Championship team.

Pluto was followed by Jonathan Knight, the author of The Browns Bible: The Complete Game-by-Game History of the Cleveland Browns. Knight is also a columnist for TheClevelandFan and is a regular contributor to Cleveland radio station WKH’s The Sports Fix. He discussed his efforts to write and research The Browns Bible, as well as his difficulties in obtaining information on the early teams.

The afternoon session honored the Browns’ 1964 NFL Championship team with a roundtable discussion with members of the team, as well as the viewing of a highlight film for the 1964 Browns and a viewing of the 1964 NFL Championship game film. In attendance for the panel discussion were linebacker Jim Houston (1960-72 Cleveland Browns) and tackle Dick Schafrath (1959-71 Cleveland Browns). The discussion was moderated by veteran Cleveland sportscaster and sportswriter Dan Coughlin. He covered the 1964 NFL Championship game for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The discussion was very informative and gave the attendees a look into the team and what it was like to play for legendary coach Paul Brown.

Heavy underdogs heading into the title game against Baltimore, the Browns did not feel intimidated. They had a strong offense and a tenacious defense. The Browns limited Johnny Unitas to just 95 yards passing and two interceptions. With the score 0-0 heading into the second half, the Browns’ offense exploded. Quarterback Frank Ryan connected with receiver Gary Collins three times for scores. With two field goals by Lou Groza, Cleveland took the game 27-0. The 1964 Browns were the last to win a championship for the city of Cleveland.

The last speaker was collector Danny Tharp, who spoke on his project The Greatest Day in Cleveland Sports, an audio recreation of the 1964 NFL Championship game. Copies of the project were distributed to the attendees.

The meeting ended with a tour of First Energy Stadium. As with the tour of the training facilities, the Browns gave unprecedented access to the stadium, including the press box and locker rooms.

Fun Fact: Nobody is allowed to use the Cleveland Browns’ locker room except the Cleveland Browns. There are two visitors’ locker rooms in the stadium. When two college teams play at the stadium, they use the two visitors’ locker rooms.

The PFRA would like to thank the Cleveland Browns for an incredible weekend of events.

Photos courtesey of Mark Palczewski – Professional Football Researchers Association

Before landing the kicking job in Kansas City, Nick Lowery was cut eleven times by eight teams in his young professional football career. However, after he unseated future Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud, Lowery went on to become the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer (1,466 points) and earned a bust in the Kansas

Before landing the kicking job in Kansas City, Nick Lowery was cut eleven times by eight teams in his young professional football career. However, after he unseated future Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud, Lowery went on to become the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer (1,466 points) and earned a bust in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Hall of Fame.

Not knowing if he would ever make it as an NFL kicker, Lowery focused on his education. According to Lowery, “I had a chance to go to some of the big colleges, but I was fortunate to go to a wonderful school called St. Albans school in Washington, D.C. I was able to really focus on my education, knowing that the chances of making it in the NFL for anyone wasn’t that high. I figured that if I was a good placekicker, I would be able to count whether I had a good percentage and did well. I got into Princeton and Dartmouth, and went to Dartmouth. My goals were to get a good education. I didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to study. I started off in theatre.”

Lowery continued, “That was the era of Watergate in the Washington, D.C. area. Growing up next door to a Supreme Court justice named Byron ‘Whizzer’ White, who led the NFL in rushing twice (1938 and 1940), and the award named for humanitarian work by players is named after Justice White. That was my next door neighbor.”

He added, “I was inspired out of that Watergate era to think about, ‘Gosh, what is missing in government?’ That was also six years after Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were killed, and the Vietnam War and that era. I was thinking about leadership and I switched to a government major and interned for Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island. He was the last of a generation of Republicans and Democrats who could work together. It is kind of a tragic thing to say. He was a Republican in a Democratic state, was able to get Clean Water Act passed, and the Clean Air Act. He just knew how to pass legislation that would improve the quality of life; more important than political party. I can’t express how highly I respected Senator Chafee. What a great role model he was. That is what I was aiming to do if I didn’t make it in the National Football League.”

While working with Senator Chafee, Lowery mentioned, “I worked on Carter’s Energy Program. Even back in the mid-70s, you might remember that we were thinking about how much we were dependent on foreign oil. I worked on coal conversion for Senator Chafee as an intern. I actually worked under the steam pipe tunnels, under the Capital in the summer of 1976 with Jim Rehnquist. He was the son of Chief Justice Rehnquist of the Supreme Court.”

But, he had aspirations of making in in the NFL. Lowery’s journey was one of persistence. Lowery recalled, “I went through a lot of rejection before I finally made it.” He continued, “I graduated in 1978. I signed with the Jets. I did well, but I screwed up in the third preseason game and they cut me. I went up to Dartmouth to do some theatre and language stuff. I got a job as a waiter. The opportunity with the New England Patriots came.” Patriots’ kicker John Smith suffered a thigh injury and was out. After he finished his shift at the restaurant, Lowery drove to Foxboro. Lowery continued, “I literally showed up on their doorstep in the fading light at Foxboro. Luckily, [head coach] Chuck Fairbanks was still there. I convinced him to take a look at me. I kicked lights out. A week later, they signed me. I played two games for the Patriots. We beat Oakland, in Oakland. It went down to the last few minutes. A guy by the name of Steve Grogan ran 22 yards down to the two-yard line with about a minute left. We scored a touchdown. Otherwise, I would have had to try a 42-yard field goal to beat the Raiders. We won both games, the next week against San Diego. But, I wasn’t ready for prime time yet, and they cut me. A lot of my story, to me, is how if you keep putting yourself out there, that is the only way to make it in the NFL. Whether you are a number one pick, or if you are somebody who didn’t even get drafted, like myself. It takes a while to get used to that level of pressure. You have to learn a lot about yourself.” Lowery was replaced by David Posey.

After being cut by the Patriots, Lowery returned to government work. “I got a job again with Senator Chafee. I worked on the Title V Regional Commissions with the Environment and Public Works Committee, which he was the ranking minority on.”

Lowery never gave up on his dream to kick in the NFL. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it [in the NFL]. The plan was that I was going to work in the U.S. Senate, and then try out for a bunch of teams the next year in 1979. One was Cincinnati [Bengals]. I remember Homer Rice, their coach, saying, ‘I don’t remember seeing you miss any field goals. Ever.’ I said, ‘Then why did you cut me?’ But, they did. Then the [Washington] Redskins signed me. I came back home. I played two games with the Redskins. The long and the short of it is that each time in the 1979 season, I tried out with San Diego. I almost made it when Rolf Benirschke was near death.” In 1978, Benirschke was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a form of colitis that forms ulcers on the large intestine. While returning from a road game, Benirschke collapsed on the team plane. After having two surgeries to remove his large intestine, Benirschke returned to the field the following year.

Lowery continued to list the teams where he received tryouts: “With New Orleans. Again with the Baltimore Colts. Each of these times, I was getting so much closer and out-kicking guys that I was not clearly out-kicking the year before, so I knew I was getting better. But, I didn’t make it.”

Lowery went back into government. “I got a permanent job with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. There were eleven attorneys, and me and a lady by the name of Chris Wilkes. We were the only non-attorneys. That was what I was going to do. I was going to work on the Senate Committee, which is great. If you know about a Senate Committee, if your Senator loses the election, you do not lose your job. You are still on the committee. If you worked for a Senator, if he or she loses, you are done.”

While with the Committee, Lowery worked on airline seat safety. “I could go into chapter and verse on that. Things that 30 or 40 years later, still have not been addressed. Aviation seat regulations are one-sixth as stringent as cars. If you plane has an issue, and your plane is not going 60 miles-per-hour, but going 250 to 350 miles-per-hour, those seats are going to come apart. That was the last thing I was working on.”

Lowery left his work on the committee after getting a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs. “I left in May. They brought me out several months early. I got to train. I got to get over that intimidation factor and to prepare earlier. It was tough to give up a job like that in Washington. Those kind of jobs are jewels. As I look back, I am glad that I did.”

Lowery recalled how he got the opportunity in Kansas City. “Right after the season, I will never forget, it was the Saturday of the first wildcard games. A guy by the name of Jim Schaaf, then the general manager of the Chiefs, called up and said, ‘I am sorry, but I just had back surgery. Marv Levy, our coach, really believes in special teams and we think that you have some real potential.’ I said, ‘Thanks, but I have this great job,’ and I hung up. I think about how many of us have those moments of truth, where the path can go one of two ways. As I hung up, I was thinking, ‘What a minute. Why did I just hang up?’ I had to find him back in his hospital room. Meanwhile, I turned down offers from the Colts and the Cleveland Browns. But, something about the tone of voice of this guy said that I should trace him back. I didn’t know how to spell his name. I called the directory and started asking for hospitals. I finally said, ‘Where would he be if he had back surgery?’ I found him at Research Hospital. I kind of impressed him that an hour after he called me that I was able to find him. We talked for an hour. A week later, they flew me to Kansas City to get the physical and to meet with Marv Levy and Jim [Schaaf]. They gave me a $2500 bonus, which today would be something of a joke for a lot of players, but for me it was a sign to try just one more time.”

But, Lowery needed to beat out mainstay and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud. “Jan was the heart of the team.” Lowery continued, “He was the last member of the Super Bowl champions that was still on the team. Jack Rudnay had been a backup on that team, but Jan was the star on that team. He was kind of a father figure. He was 37 and going into what would have been his 14th year with the Chiefs.” Lowery won the job.

Lowery said, “Needless to say, he didn’t like me a whole lot when he was cut, but now, all of these years later, we are friends. Now, he sees how that rejuvenated his attitude on how to prepare, and if you look at his career in Green Bay and Minnesota, he kicked really well. He got a little more practice snaps during the week, which head coaches back in the 70s didn’t understand how important that was. He finished his career with a flourish. Jan was, career-wise, 58-percent at Arrowhead Stadium. I was 85-percent at Arrowhead Stadium. It was good for Jan to leave Kansas City in the long-run, and I think he agreed with that. It was hard, because he had his whole life there. It was hard for me after 14 years to leave for the Jets. I knew it would be a great challenge, but I knew I was ready and I think that I proved that.”

He recalled how persistence helped him win the job: “What is interesting is that if you pay your dues and you work as hard as you possibly can, what may seem impossible or hard to understand from other people, can seem more natural. I felt that I had paid so many dues. I had so much heartache. Being cut by the Patriots. Being cut by the Jets. Outkicking Mike Wood in San Diego, and yet he got the job in San Diego. Outkicking the kicker in New Orleans, Russell Erxleben. He was supposedly the new god of kicking, the first number one pick of a kicker. I will never forget coming into the showers afterwards and here is this guy, who is supposed to be the ultimate kicker, going, ‘How do you kick the ball so far and so high?’ I just knew that I was getting better and that I paid the price. By the time that I got to Kansas City, I knew that I had to outkick Stenerud every day, at everything. I was really clear about that. I had noticed how much better I had gotten. I had just turned 24. Everyone on the outside, and probably some on the inside like my family members, thought I was crazy. I just knew that it was my time.”

He recalled how he improved over the years: “You have to learn to get the ball up more quickly and you had to get the ball off more quickly. Back then, the goal posts were almost 25-percent wider. Those are adjustments that you have to make. The biggest adjustment is believing that you belong there. There was physically getting stronger. I was skinny. I was 6’4 ½” and 187 pounds. I finished my career at about 225 pounds. I am very proud to say that it was from hard work. You get older and your metabolism slows down. Dave Reading was our conditioning coach in 1989. By 1989, I was 33. In 1989 and 1990, Dave said, ‘Stop running distance. As a kicker, you are not a marathon runner. You are doing sprints.’ I went that year from about 205 pounds to about 217 pounds. I got a lot stronger and led the NFL in scoring that year [139 points] and hit 24 field goals in a row going into the playoffs. I hit 21 in a row the next year and was 22 for 24 the next year. I don’t know how many kickers have had those types of years in a row. That process of constantly working to get better, that to me was what was refined. Realizing through all of those rejections: eight teams and eleven rejections. You never stop working to improve. You can never take things for granted. As Jan would say, it is always a phone number away for a kicker as a replacement. Learning that you always have to work to get better. Also, making the connection that you can do all of the physical training in the world, but you also have to do that mental training – particularly as a kicker – so that you are in the right place for those very few seconds you have to be totally on.”

Now – as he had throughout his adult life – Lowery spends his time giving back to his community and helping others. That sense of community and helping others goes back to his time living next door to Supreme Court justice Byron ‘Whizzer’ White. According to Lowery, “There are different types of mentors. Some mentors are with you every day, or almost every day, like Dick Johnson who was my mentor in kicking. He was a retired stockbroker and kept saying, ‘It is not how many times you fall down, but how many times you get back up.’”

Lowery continued, “I had a different kind of mentor. A Mount Rushmore figurehead human being. I will never forget. We moved in the same day. Byron and Marion White, and next door was Sidney and Hazel Lowery and their family. I remember the very next day, there was Bobby Kennedy with what I think was a Labrador retriever next to him. He walked over from Hickory Hill, which was about three miles away. Byron, unlike some of the Supreme Court justices today, was very careful about what he talked about that might reflect on any decision that he would have before the court. The discussions we would have would be about history and who he admired. He really admired Lincoln. If you look at Byron White, he was a guy that finished number one at Yale Law School the same year he led the NFL in rushing. There is a lot of weight behind every single word a man like that had. When he offered an opinion, it really counted. I asked him – in the midst of being cut by all of those teams – his advice. He said, ‘You will be respected not by anything you say, but by being a consistent performer on the field. Just learn to shut up and do your job, and that is how you will gain respect.’ Byron White just helped me have higher goals. I think that without Byron White, I would not have thought, ‘Why not? Why not try to make it in the NFL?’ Those are the things that help you stay with it, even when the other teams in the NFL are saying that you are not good enough.”

According to Lowery, “I see the work I do as doing what the government used to do, to some degree, and what the best of our leaders called us to do. John F. Kennedy being one of the most famous.” He continued, “The notion of service and the idea of solving problems that need to be solved. For me, it’s inspiring kids to realize when they are sitting at that desk in the classroom, that they are working toward a purpose that is unique to their God-given gifts and that they deserve to have a life and that they do great things that are an extension of their God-given abilities. When kids feel that purpose, they feel powerful, and they feel meaningful and important in the best way, not in an ego-based way. Giving that gift to kids, which pro football players can do. That encouraging few seconds of time that we have with a fan can change a life sometimes. I really admire the Walter Paytons of the world. Deron Cherry of my team and Albert Lewis were that way. They had a really great understanding of making a difference.”

Lowery continued, “What I do today is an extension of that. The NFL can do more, but it does a lot of great things in the community. I would like to help the NFL do more programs in the area of creating a leadership culture among varsity athletes. If you look at the school shootings that happened at Columbine and other places – not all of them, but a hauntingly high percentage of them – had a toxic environment where the varsity football players were a bit too cool. To me, when you interrupt the pattern with varsity athletes in general, you say that a true champion shares his power with others and doesn’t take it away. Those are wonderful things that are consistent with Commissioner Goodell’s vision that the players today have a privilege, they are stewards of the game, just like the owners are. Everything that we can do to express that sense of gratitude for having such a fantastic career in America’s best game, giving the kids that sense of power and purpose is the least that we can do. I think that a lot of players get it and I am hoping that maybe if we start encouraging kids when they start to be recognized early in their lives, that it becomes a habit. If you look at people like Steve Largent and other great NFL Hall of Famers that got it early, all of those lessons helped them become better football players. They had congruency in how they lived their lives on the field and off of the field. Government and charity. To me, it is about how we can give to everyone that we meet in our lives, in the few seconds that we have – if not more – the sense that their lives matter and that we can help encourage them to make the world a better place. That is what life is about.”

Today, the NFL Draft is a prime-time event. The multi-day extravaganza is preceded by months of mock drafts, dedicated draft publications and people making a living solely analyzing the draft. However, the first NFL draft was held in relative obscurity.

Bert Bell, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and future NFL Commissioner, came

Today, the NFL Draft is a prime-time event. The multi-day extravaganza is preceded by months of mock drafts, dedicated draft publications and people making a living solely analyzing the draft. However, the first NFL draft was held in relative obscurity.

Bert Bell, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and future NFL Commissioner, came up with the idea as a way to keep the league from going broke. He introduced the concept at the league meeting in May of 1935. His thought was that the stronger teams would always attract the best college football players. Since Bell’s team had struggled – they had only won 9 games since their inception in 1933 – he wanted a shot at top collegiate talent.

The official league minutes state: SUNDAY, MAY 18, 1935 at the Fort Pitt Hotel, in Pittsburgh: Motion by Bell, seconded by Marshall, that the following rule relative to the selection of players entering the National League for the first time become operative beginning with the season of 1936: (1) At the annual meeting in February and each succeeding year thereafter, a list of first year eligible players to be presented by each club and their names placed upon a board in the meeting room for selection by the various clubs. The priority of selection by each club shall follow the reverse order of the championship standings of the clubs at the close of the preceding season; for instance, the club which finished last in either division to be determined by percentage rating shall have first choice; the club which finished next to last, second choice, and this inverse order shall be followed until each club has had one selection or has declined to select a player; after which the selection shall continue as indicated above until all players whose names appear on the board have been selected or rejected. (2) Any first year player who was not chosen or whose name does not appear on the list referred to above is eligible to sign with any club in the league. (3) If for any valid reason it would be impossible for a player to play in the city by which he has been selected, or the player can show reasonable cause as to why he should be permitted to play in a city other than that designated for him than through such arrangements as can be made by sale or trade with another club, he shall be permitted to play in the city he prefers if the president of the league approves his reasons as valid. (The fact that a job is to be secured for a player in any city as an added incentive to sign a contract shall not be considered sufficient reason for his transfer from the club by which he has originally been selected.) (4) In the event of controversy between a selected player and a club, the matter shall be referred to the president and his decision shall be accepted by all parties as final. (5) In the event a player is selected by a club and fails to sign a contract or report, he shall be placed on a Reserve List of the club by which he was selected.

(ALL CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY)

The first draft was held February 8-9, 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia. Approximately 90 players were on the board. After the first five rounds, Bell moved that the draft continue for an additional four rounds. George Preston Marshall of the Boston (now Washington) Redskins seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Eagles had the first draft pick, as a result of their 2-9-0 record in 1935. They selected Jay Berwanger, the All-American halfback from the University of Chicago. Berwanger won the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy after the 1935 collegiate season. That trophy was renamed the Heisman Trophy, after the club’s athletic director: John W. Heisman, who passed away in 1936. Along with the trophy, he won a trip for two to New York City. According to the National Football Foundation, Berwanger said, “No one at school said anything to me about winning it other than a few congratulations. I was more excited about the trip than the trophy because it was my first flight.”

However, the Eagles had a problem with their first pick. Berwanger was hesitant to play professional football. First, he wanted to finish his studies at Chicago. Next, he wanted to maintain his amateur status in order to try out for the 1936 U.S. Olympic team. He had aspirations of becoming a decathlete at the Summer Games. According to the Associated Press, Berwanger said, “I haven’t decided what I will do. I may play professional football next fall, because of its practical advantages. I might take a coaching job, although it is my ultimate intention to enter business in preference to making a career in professional athletics. For the time being, I am mainly interested in finishing my courses at Chicago, graduating next June, and then trying to win a place on the Olympic team.”

After failing to make the Olympic team, Berwanger started negotiating to play professional football. Rumors leading up to the draft had Berwanger asking for $1,000 per game. The average at the time was approximately $200 to $250 per game. The Eagles’ best offer was $150 per game. Failing to reach an agreement, the Eagles traded his rights to the Chicago Bears for tackle Art Buss. A report came out in 1948 that the trade was actually arranged before the draft. According to the report, Halas knew that the Eagles needed players and would not be able to pay Berwanger his asking price. Halas would send a player or two to Philadelphia if the Eagles drafted Berwanger. In exchange, the Bears would get the local star.

Now that the trade was finalized, it was George Halas’ turn to try and reach a deal with the star player. Berwanger reportedly asked for $25,000 per year to play for the Bears. Halas balked. After additional negotiations, Berwanger dropped his asking price to $15,000 per year. Halas never went above an offer of $13,500 per year. A deal was never reached and Berwanger never played professional football.

From 1936 through 1939, Berwanger coached football at the University of Chicago. He also wrote a column for the Chicago Daily News. He died of lung cancer in 2002, at the age of 88.

Over the history of the NFL draft, Berwanger was one of only two first picks to not play a down in the NFL regular season. The second was Ernie Davis, the Syracuse star running back. In 1962, Davis was selected by the Washington Redskins, as well as the Buffalo Bills of the rival American Football League. He was diagnosed with Leukemia in 1962 and passed away in 1963.

The second selection of the draft (and the first draft pick to play professional football), was Riley Smith out of Alabama. The versatile All-American could play practically any position. He was selected by the Boston Redskins. According to Bob Barnett of the Professional Football Researchers Association, Smith said, “I signed because I wasn’t ready to quit playing ball. I just wanted to keep playing. I signed for $250 a game and a little bonus. We won the Eastern Division championship twice and made the NFL championship once in the three years I played and the most I ever got was $350 a game. I made more money in the off-season. I quit in 1938 and took a coaching job at Washington and Lee for a lot more money. But we had it good because some of those fellas down in Philadelphia were playing for $60 and $70 a ball game.” Smith’s career was cut short by injury. After retiring from coaching football, Smith became a real estate developer. He passed away in 1999.

The Eagles failed to sign any of their 1936 draft picks. After going 1-11 in the 1936 season, they again had the first draft pick for the 1937 draft, which they used to select Sam Francis out of the University of Nebraska. He did not sign with the Eagles, either. Their second pick was used to select Fran Murray out of the University of Pennsylvania. He did sign, as well as their third pick Drew Ellis out of TCU. The remaining seven selections never played a down of professional football in the NFL.

Four future Pro Football Hall of Famers were selected in 1936: Joe Stydahar, Tuffy Leemans, Wayne Millner, and Dan Fortmann.

In 1976, Halas was quoted to have said, “The National Football League college draft has been the backbone of the sport and is the primary reason it has developed to the game it is today.”

Gino Marchetti was one of the greatest defensive ends in pro football history. Most historians rate him in the top four, along with Reggie White, Deacon Jones, and Bruce Smith. Selected to eleven straight Pro Bowls, Marchetti only missed playing in one Pro Bowl due to injury. He was inducted into the Pro Football

Gino Marchetti was one of the greatest defensive ends in pro football history. Most historians rate him in the top four, along with Reggie White, Deacon Jones, and Bruce Smith. Selected to eleven straight Pro Bowls, Marchetti only missed playing in one Pro Bowl due to injury. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

As a high school senior, Marchetti joined the Army. According to Marchetti, “They had a program there that if you joined the service, they would give me my [high school] diploma. One day after school, I drove over to Pittsburgh and I joined. I was only 17 or 18.” Marchetti continued, “I was in the 69th Infantry Division, the 273rd Regiment, 4th Platoon. I was a machine-gunner, and our company was the first company to make contact with Russian soldiers during the end of the war.”

After the war, Marchetti still had the itch to play football. He formed a semi-pro team called the Hornets in his hometown of Antioch, California. He elaborated, “When I got out of the service in 1946, I still had an urge to play football, but I could not go to college to play football. I really was not good enough. Me and my buddies from Antioch High [School] got together and formed a semi-pro team. We started playing local teams around the Bay area and Antioch, just to play. It was a lot of fun and good experience.”

That lasted for about a year, until he had a chance to go to Modesto Junior College. Marchetti said, “This is interesting. We were going to play San Rafael on one Sunday afternoon. I was driving a ’41 Chevy. It only held three passengers. I took my brother with me. At that time, he was a hell of a lot better football player that I was. Also, a receiver by the name of Nick Rodriguez, who was an excellent football player. There were three of us. We were driving out of town and I happened to look up Seventh Street to see my house and saw someone there. We stopped at the house to see who it was. It was a coach from Modesto Junior College named Josh and a line coach named Stan Pafko. They really wanted my brother and Nick to go. That is who they were trying to recruit. We were sitting around and they were talking to them about going to Modesto. They said that they would be interested in going. Everyone started to leave the room and all of a sudden, this guy Stan Pafko comes up to me and says to me in a joking way, ‘You look like you are big enough, why don’t you tag along?’ I said, ‘I just might do that.’ On the way up, I talked about it with my brother and Nick, and I decided to go. When we got there, Nick and my brother made first string after the first week. Then, we had a home game. I hadn’t played a lick. I started to improve. The defensive tackle got hurt. I got in and never went out. I played well enough in the game. The coach called me in and said that I will be starting at left defensive tackle. I stayed there and I finished the season.”

Marchetti’s football luck continued, “I then went home and I was going to stay home. I was working for my brother as a bartender. One afternoon around three o’clock, a guy came in. I served him a beer. He then asked, ‘Do you know a kid by the name of Gino Marchetti?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Why?’ He said, ‘I am interested in giving him a scholarship to the University of San Francisco.’ I will never forget it. I was smoking a cigarette. I threw it on the ground. They didn’t care if you smoked a cigar. I said, ‘That’s me.’ So, we talked and he said, ‘Come up and look around and let me know if you would be interested.’” Marchetti continued, “I drove up to San Francisco, which was about 40 miles from where I lived. I saw Brad Lynn again and he took me in to see Joe Kuharich. So, Brad Lynn told me after his meeting with Kuharich that Kuharich said, ‘Where did you get that hookie? He don’t know nothing about football.’ Brad talked him into bringing me up there. So, I went up there. They put me in at the first scrimmage. I wasn’t dumb. I knew that they would run away from me to see if I was fast enough, or at me to see if I was strong enough. I did that pretty well. He invited me to stay and I stayed for three years. It was the best time of my life.”

It was the 1951 season that would go down in college football history. The team went undefeated with a 9-0-0 record. That put them into a position for an Orange Bowl bid. Marchetti explained, “We were playing our last game against Loyola. We played our next to last game against the College of the Pacific. Eddie LeBaron was their quarterback. He was a good quarterback and played a few years in the NFL. They were undefeated. The rumor was going around that if we went undefeated, we would get a Bowl bid. We beat them 47-14. The following week, we beat Loyola 20-2. That gave us an undefeated season.”

However, attitudes at the time, especially in the South, were still racially divisive. According to Marchetti, “It came back that we would not get invited to a Bowl game unless we left the black players home. We had six or seven on the team, but the two they meant were the best guys you would ever meet. One was Burl Toler and the other was Ollie Matson. I said ‘Hell no!!’ I served in the Army with Burl and he was one of my best friends on the team. So, we voted it out. The thing that I love the most about it, nobody complained about it. I never heard to this day, nobody ever said ‘Hey, do you ever wonder how things would have turned out if we had changed our vote?’ Never thought about it for a minute, because I would never do that. Nobody on that team ever said that they regretted the decision that we had made. It was 100 percent in favor of not playing. So, we didn’t go. I went home and went back to work.”

That team is famous for other reasons, as well. Eight players from that team went on to play pro football. Five of them earned Pro Bowl nominations and three were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Also, athletic news director Pete Rozelle became one of the most influential commissioners in NFL history. Burl Toler became the first African-American referee in the NFL and officiated games for almost 25 years.

Marchetti never really considered playing professional football. “I never had a thought when the 49ers played at Kezar Stadium. I was not that big, really. I was 6’4” or 6’5”, but I only weighed 215 [pounds]. What I had going for me was I had the desire, that’s for damn sure. I was also fast and strong for a guy that weighed 215.”

However, he received a chance when he was drafted by the Dallas Texans in 1952. Some consider the Texans to be an offshoot of the New York Yanks, who folded in 1951. That is an easy assumption to make, since thirteen of the Yanks players made it to the Texans’ roster. However, Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his franchise back to the league for $100,000 after the 1951 season. The league then awarded a franchise to Dallas. Halfway through the 1952 season, the owners gave the franchise back to the NFL. To confuse things even more, When Baltimore was awarded a franchise in 1953, they were awarded a NEW franchise, not the Dallas franchise. However, they were awarded all of the players, even though only twelve of them played for the Colts that inaugural season.

Marchetti discussed his time with the Texans: “I was so excited about going to play professional football. However, I went to the most disorganized camp in the world. The equipment manager burned all of the ankle wraps. He didn’t know what they were. We didn’t practice for six or seven weeks. When [head coach] Jimmy Phelan called practice, we really didn’t practice. We would play volleyball – with a football – over the goal posts. Two-hand touch. We did a lot of running and fooling around, but I never saw a professional film. I am thinking, ‘Is this really professional football?’” Marchetti continued, “I had just gotten married and I was thinking about giving it up, because that is not what I expected. We only had three coaches. The trainer was the line coach. If you got hurt, you went to see the line coach.”

However, not all memories were bad from his days with the Texans: “The first touchdown I ever scored was in the Coliseum. Some of the old guys hid, because they did not want to go in and possibly get hurt. So, Phelan turned around and asked, ‘Who here can play tight end?’ So, I raised my goddamn hand. He said, ‘Come here. Go in for [Stan Williams],’ who had gotten hurt. The quarterback was Hank Lauricella. I went in the huddle and Hank said, ‘What are we going to call?’ I said, ‘Well, we have been practicing that thing where you throw the ball up as high as you can and as far as you can. I’ll chase it. They may not cover me, because I just play defense. We ran the play. The ball bounced around. I caught it and scored a touchdown. I was as happy as can be. The announcer said, ‘Touchdown. Six points by Gino Marchetti.’ I felt pretty good. Then, I heard the announcer say, ‘And now, the score is L.A. 42, Dallas 6.’ We were so bad, but that was one of my good experiences.”

After a miserable 1-11 season with the Texans, Marchetti moved to the Baltimore Colts. Marchetti commented that compared to the Texans, “It was better.” However, head coach Keith Molesworth placed Marchetti at offensive left tackle. He commented, “I started one year in Baltimore under Molesworth. I was the most unhappy guy the whole year, but I played the position. He had planned on me playing it the next year, but he got fired and Weeb [Ewbank] came in. Weeb saw some film and said I was going to be third on the depth chart at defensive end. I felt so good there, I am not sure that if he had asked me to go back there, that I would have. At tackle, I would have been small. At defensive end, I was small, but big guys never scared me. I was quick and agile. Playing tackle helped me become a better defensive player. I would think about all the guys that I blocked against. [Norman] ‘Wildman’ Willey. Goddammit, that guy must have thrown me around like a baseball. I took everything down, including what hurt me the most. I practiced stuff that would help me against guys like that. I had to neutralize his speed. I played against Don Joyce. He was easy. Why was he easy? He just tried to bowl me over. He wouldn’t give me moves. The guys that would give me moves were trouble. When I went back to defensive end, I tried to learn new moves and study the film to see what would help me.”

Marchetti continued his comments on Ewbank: “When it really got good was when Weeb Ewbank came in. He was on the Cleveland Browns’ staff. He was so organized, I couldn’t believe it. Everything, we had to write down. How to tackle. How to block. The right way to position your feet. The position of your hands. We had to keep notebooks. We had to show him that we took all of the notes, then he would let you go to town or do what you wanted to do on your day off. That was a shock. I joked with Fatso (Art Donovan), that if I had done this at USF (University of San Francisco), I would have graduated. Our meetings were an hour-and-a-half in the morning and an hour-and-a-half in the evening. There were two-a-day practices. He worked you.”

Under Ewbank, the Colts continually improved and won championships in 1958 and 1959. The 1958 game has been called “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” Marchetti commented, “To be honest, it wasn’t the ‘Greatest Game Ever Played. I think that it was the most important game played in the NFL. People like to say it was the Greatest Game, but it really wasn’t.” There were 17 Hall of Famers in some way associated with that game, from players to coaches to owners.

Unfortunately for Marchetti, he did not see the entire game. He sustained an injury late in the fourth quarter. He commented, “Usually, they leave me alone on sweeps. It was about a minute and 10 seconds left. If they punt it, then we get a chance. If they do not kick it and we stop them, we really had a chance. They decided not to kick it. When they were going around, I happened to be there and made the tackle. Then, ‘Big Daddy’ [Lipscomb] comes across and he didn’t want the guy to go an inch further. He drives him. Today, they call it ‘head spearing.’ He stopped him, but also broke my ankle. It was a guy on my own team that broke my ankle. Then Frank Gifford yelled, ‘Get up Marchetti. God dammit. The play is over. Get up. Get up.’ I said, I can’t get up. I can’t walk.’ I couldn’t. Now every time I see him, he tells me that he made the first down. They proved it. They took us to New York and showed us how he made it. They did a hell of a job. So, every time he says that he made the first down, you know what I tell him? ‘Hey, who got the ring?’ That shuts him up pretty quick.”

When asked about why it was so important to be on the field to see the game, Marchetti joked, “I played on such shitty teams.” He continued, “It was so much fun to be out there. I may never get here again. I wanted to see whether they won or lost. They wouldn’t let me. In sudden death, they put me in a stretcher and walked me around to the other side of the field. I told them to put me down. I saw the kickoff. The next thing I knew, they had about four or five policemen around me. They took me in. I said, ‘Why? I ain’t hurting nobody.’ They said, ‘Just think of it. If the Colts win, we will never get you off the field.’ They were probably right.”

President Nixon wasn’t the only president to resign on August 8th, 1974. This week, we tell the story of the downfall of the WFL, as well as the story of the most hyped player to never play a game. Or did he?

Music featured in this episode by the following (in order of appearance):

Our first story, “Papergate and the demise of the WFL” was written and read by Denis M. Crawford. He is a freelance writer in Boardman, Ohio. He is the author of “McKay’s Men” and “Hugh Culverhouse and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers”. Denis is an assitant editor of the Coffin Corner and his currently working on this third book, a biography of sports entrepreneur John Bassett.

Fall afternoons are still reserved for football practice. Following his second hip surgery in six months, Roy Curry, 71, assists at Robeson High School on Chicago’s South Side. A master of his craft, he’s at home detailing and dispensing nuances of the game to impressionable teens.

Known among his peers as an exceptional

Fall afternoons are still reserved for football practice. Following his second hip surgery in six months, Roy Curry, 71, assists at Robeson High School on Chicago’s South Side. A master of his craft, he’s at home detailing and dispensing nuances of the game to impressionable teens.

Known among his peers as an exceptional coach and one of the best college quarterbacks of his day, there’s a chapter in his story that’s left incomplete.

Could Curry have been the National Football League’s first black quarterback?

Today, he lives with his wife of 45 years, Carolyn, in the Calumet Heights neighborhood. An easy gait, unarming smile and amiable southern demeanor radiate warmth to friends and strangers. Well dressed and a solid 195 pounds, Curry looks like he could get behind center or model men’s clothes.

Navigating his way from the wrong side of a dirt road was a testament to a relentless will and mental makeup. “It was very rough growing up then,” said Curry. “There were a lot of places you couldn’t go unless you were cooking or cleaning or cutting the yard at their home. There was a curfew at 11 p.m. It was difficult to see the way people were treated; you had to act a certain way and you knew your place.”

A loving home, strict work ethic and positive perspective propelled him to succeed. “I had fantastic parents,” he said. “I was always a good kid and stayed involved in sports.”

Just before Curry started kindergarten, the family left Lula, Miss. in the middle of the night, piling their belongings into a truck and moved 21 miles to Clarksdale. His dad, Lawrence, was a sharecropper and mother, River Lee, taught grades first-eighth in a one room school. From age five-fifteen, mid-May through mid-October, Curry working the fields in the area, which included the 4,000 acre Hopson Plantation, Stovall and the 17,000 acre King & Anderson spread.

Arriving on the corner of Fourth St. at 6 a.m., Curry and scores of other African Americans hopped on to one of the 10 trucks that drove out to plantations via highway 61, 49 and unpaved roads surrounding Clarksdale. Stifling humidity and heat often caused people to pass out periodically from a workday that ended at 5 p.m. Chopping cotton paid 30 cents an hour and began in mid-May when school got out. Picking was four dollars for 100 pounds and began in August and concluded mid-October when school started.

Cotton was the economic engine of the Mississippi Delta and in Clarksdale everything revolved around crop production. “I was smaller and the cotton came up to my chest,” said Curry. “It was hot and it was hard to get any air. When I was 10-15 years old, we didn’t start school until mid-October. My dad had 10 acres he worked on his own, but the landowner was a terrible guy who always kept him in debt. When I started football, we’d work from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. and then hitch a ride to practice. Most guys on the team had the same schedule.”

Serving as the team’s water boy for a few years, Curry’s career began one game into his sophomore season when the starter was injured. Higgins High School coach Isaac Watts came into gym class on Tuesday, fitted Curry with his gear and brought him to practice. The team traveled 19 miles to West Helena, Ark., taking a ferry [a 10 minute trip] across the Mississippi River and ended up winning the game. Higgins, a school with 150 boys and 30-plus kids on the squad won three conference titles and lost two games over three years. Friday nights the entire town mobilized with roughly 2,000 people to view the action. Curry had free-reign of the offense, which put the ball in the air 20-plus times a game against Tupelo, Corinth, Avery, Oxford, Columbus, Starkville and Aberdeen, in the Little Six Conference.

“The games were competitive,” said Curry, who lettered in basketball and track. “You had teams with guys who had served in Korea and then came back and were playing at age 18 and 19. There were a lot of very talented and tough kids; every game was a battle.”

While Clarksdale was lacking in amenities, the music scene was thriving. “We’d have Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Ike Turner and Tina Turner, Bobby Bland and a number of great acts play at the high school,” said Curry. “There’d be 500-600 people; there were always great shows.”

The youngest of four sisters and one brother, who all moved to Chicago before him, Curry, at 15, began spending summers working as a bus boy in downtown Chicago and then in Rogers Park, on the North Side. Going from $15 to over $100 dollars a week and taking in what Chicago offered opened up a new world that he was anxious to see.

“That was fantastic,” said Curry. “We’d work from 5 p.m. until 3 a.m. and then I’d catch the El home to my sister’s place.

“The first time I came to Chicago I was 10,” he said. “I stayed with my sister [Earline] on 26th and State St. I went to the 31st Beach, I went to the movies and had buttered popcorn. There was a place to get Polish sausage on 47th St., next to the El tracks. I spent every summer there beginning in 1954. On the weekends I’d go to the Regal Theatre and sit there all day [from 1p.m.-8 p.m.]. There’d be four-five acts and then a movie or stage show. It was a great experience, there was nothing like that in Clarksdale.”

Following his senior year, Jackson State coach John Merritt came to the school and recruited Curry and two tackles, James Carson [who later became the head coach] and Ed Holmes. From 1961-62, Jackson State assembled a team on par with any in the country. They went 9-2 and lost to Florida A&M 14-8 in 1961 for the championship. In a rematch the following season [going 10-1], they beat the Rattlers 22-6 before 47,791 at the 30th Annual Orange Blossom Classic in Miami, Fla., with Curry voted MVP. The victory had national implications on a number of levels. Florida A&M was riding a 21 game winning streak and had a backfield that featured Hewritt Dixon, Robert Paremore and Bob Hayes, who ended up in the National Football League Hall of Fame. Hayes set a world record with a 10.6 in the 100 meters and ran a leg of the 4×1 relay in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo which also earned a gold medal.

When the team returned to Jackson, they were given a police escort down Capital St and stopped at Mayor Allen Thompson’s office. “We brought national recognition to the city and everyone wanted to be apart of it,” said Curry.

How long did the festivities last? “We’re still celebrating,” said Gloster Richardson, who earned Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs (1969) and Dallas Cowboys (1971). “When we get together, guys always talk about beating Florida A&M.”

At 6-0, 195, Curry operated a lethal aerial attack calling the signals as they put up over 30 points a game. With the Tigers throwing 60 percent of the time, Curry had 2,053 of total offense with 15 touchdowns passes. Several members from the squad had careers in the NFL: receivers Willie Richardson (1963-71), Gloster Richardson (1967-74), Thomas Richardson (1969-70), tight end Al Greer (1963), cornerback-return specialist Speedy Duncan (1964-74) and offensive tackle Pappa Hayes (1965-66).

A stifling defense was anchored by ends Verlon Biggs (1965-74) and Coy Bacon (1968-83). Tackle Ben McGee (1964-72), linebacker Roy Hilton (1965-75), tackle Frank Molden (1965, 68, 69) and defensive back Taft Reed (1967). The University of Mississippi and USC both went undefeated and were voted national champions in 1962. It’s hard to figure how Jackson State would stack up against them.

“I think it would’ve been a great game,” said Willie Richardson. “We were really deep on both lines that year and had the speed to match up. Win or lose it would’ve been close.”

Duncan saw it differently. “I don’t think there was a team out there that could’ve beat us,” said Duncan, who was a four-time pro bowler as a corner back and punt-kick returner with San Diego (1964-70 and Washington Redskins (’71-74). “Those three yards and a cloud of dust teams wouldn’t have been able to stay on the field with our offense. What [offensive coordinator] Joe Gilliam Sr. taught was so far ahead of what everyone was doing; other teams couldn’t match up with us. We had the whole package. Other teams didn’t have the type of people we had at the skill positions. “Everyone has their opinion, but that’s something I’ll take to my grave. I would’ve loved to play any of the SEC schools, but it wasn’t meant to happen [at that time].”

Coming in to assist head coach Merritt in 1961, Gilliam Sr. was instrumental in Curry’s development. Installing a series of plays that were a precursor to the west coast offense, opposing defenses found themselves outmatched mentally and physically. “I really enjoyed coaching at Jackson State,” said Gilliam Sr., who passed away in January, 2013 at 89. Moving with Merritt to Tennessee State from 1963-82, Gilliam orchestrated undefeated teams in 1965, ’66, ’70, ’71, ’73 and ’82 and national champions in ’79 and ’81 [he was head coach from 1989-92]. “The kids had a thirst for knowledge and were a joy to work with.”

“We used the option, drop back, play-action and rollout. Our plays looked the same when they started, but ended up having a number of options. Our offense was all over the field. Richardson was as good an athlete as you’ll find and could go up and get it. Speedy Duncan was a great player; we moved him around as a flanker in passing situations. We used him at running back as well.”

“Curry was a great runner and very tough; he was never hurt. We used him with naked bootlegs, power sweeps and a series of rollouts. He was very accurate and knew where to go with the ball. Curry had the leadership qualities you wanted in a quarterback.”

“At that time, the NFL was not ready for a black quarterback, period! He should’ve been given the opportunity to fail or succeed. Coaches wanted a pocket quarterback. If he had gone to Canada he would’ve had a long career.”

Gilliam was quite familiar with pro football’s position regarding black signal callers. A star quarterback from Big Red High School in Steubenville, Ohio, Gilliam started as a freshman at free safety and punt returner while George Taliaferro [the first black to be drafted in the NFL by the Chicago Bears in 1949] powered the offense at running back for Indiana University. It was the Hoosiers only undefeated season [9-0-1] in 1945 and their highest finish at No. 4. Army, behind Heisman trophy winner Doc Blanchard, was the national champion. Married, with a child on the way, as a college freshman, Gilliam received a monthly stipend from a Steubenville businessman-bookie, who America came to know as Jimmy The Greek.

“Jimmy looked out for me,” he said. “He bought me the first suit I ever owned [before I left for college]. It was a white cashmere suit with a top hat and shoes. He worked at the Rex Cigar Store on Market St. in the back [where they had gambling]; Dean Martin worked there too.”

After a year in the army, Gilliam finished his career as a two-time All-American quarterback-free safety [1948-49] at West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia. In 1950, he received a contract to the tune of $7,000 from Green Bay Packers owner Curly Lambeau. Convinced he could lead the troops, Gilliam called Lambeau.

“I said, ‘I’d like a chance to play quarterback,” said Gilliam. “He said, ‘There are no colored quarterbacks in the NFL!’

“I was sure I could play. We threw the ball a lot in college and I said I’d like an opportunity to play quarterback. He said the contract is for free safety and then added, “I’ll tell you again, there are no colored boys playing quarterback in the league.”

“I talked it over with my wife and decided if I can’t play quarterback, I didn’t want to play.” By the early 1970s, the possibility of a black signal caller in the NFL wasn’t a complete misnomer. For years, star college quarterbacks were forced to change positions for an opportunity at professional football. The Buffalo Bills’ James Harris broke the barrier becoming the first black quarterback to start a game in 1969. Harris’ greatest success came when he led the Rams to the NFC championship and a MVP in the pro bowl [1974] and into the playoffs in ’75. Joe Gilliam Jr. [1972-75] had a brief run with the Steelers and Doug Williams had a nine-year tenure beginning in 1978 which included a Super Bowl MVP in 1987 with the Washington Redskins. Warren Moon was not drafted out of the University of Washington and played with the Edmonton Eskimos in Canada for five years before embarking on a 17-year career [commencing in 1984] which included nine pro bowls and induction as the only black quarterback in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. New York Times writer, William Rhoden and researcher, Lloyd Vance, chronicled the definitive book on the subject, Third and a Mile, (2007) which was made into a documentary and shown on ESPN in 2008. Curry, however, was not mentioned. Several notable quarterbacks preceded Harris. A strong case can be made that Curry was the best of the group.

A nine-year career in the NFL, which included pro bowls in 1967 and ’68, with Baltimore Colts’ legend Johnny Unitas [the 1970 season with Bob Griese in Miami], Willie Richardson is aware of what it took to excel. A quarterback at Coleman High School in Greenville, Miss., he made an easy transition to receiver and became a starter in his second game. A two-time All-American, Richardson caught 171 passes and 36 touchdowns in his career at JSU and was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The first black player selected to the Blue-Gray College All-Star game on Christmas Day in Montgomery, Ala., Richardson quickly proved he was among the best catching two touchdown passes including the game-winner and was voted MVP of the game.

“Roy was better than a lot of quarterbacks in the league,” said Richardson, who was one of six starters who went both ways started at free safety. “He could throw, throw on the run and had a great feel for the game. He was an accurate passer up to 50 yards, who had great touch. When the pocket broke down, he was dangerous as a runner.”

Oakland Raiders Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown was a linebacker at Grambling and clearly remembers their difficulty matching up against Jackson State to whom they lost twice. “Curry had everything you’d want in a quarterback,” said Brown, who had a 16-year career in the NFL and spent 17 seasons in player development for the Raiders. “He had exceptional athletic skills: a great arm, size, speed and the intelligence to run a team. Coach [Eddie] Robinson told us the key to the game is to contain number 19. They used a number of different options with their offense that kept you off balance. “We double-teamed Richardson and we still couldn’t stop them; their timing and feel for each other was at another level. I think we had more talent than they did, but they beat us and those two were the main reason. Of all the guys [black quarterbacks in the latter 1950s and early ‘60s] I saw before Harris, Curry was the best. “Do I think Curry could’ve started in the NFL and performed well? Absolutely!”

Among those who attended the Jackson State home games was former United States Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush, Dr. Rod Paige, who played football at JSU [1951-55], was the head coach there from 1964-68 and at Texas Southern [1971-75].

“Roy Curry was the total package,” said Paige. “I’d say he was similar to Steve McNair, but much more mobile and accurate as a passer. I think Gilliam brought an academic approach to the game that not many had seen. There’s no question in my mind that Curry could have been a superstar player in the NFL. Because of his arm strength, speed and intelligence I think he could have revolutionized the position. There really wasn’t anything he couldn’t do.

“Unfortunately, it’s a matter of timing. Like the great players from the Negro Leagues who were before Jackie Robinson. Curry was ahead of his time, there was a stereotypical view that blacks didn’t have the cerebral dexterity to handle the position.”

James Harris was in high school in Monroe, La., when he saw the aerial show Jackson State put on against Grambling in Ruston. “You could see they were running NFL routes and that Richardson was a pro prosect,” said Harris, a senior personal executive with the Detroit Lions. “The kind of throws Curry made, you knew he was a special talent and student of the game. From what I saw he had everything you needed to play in the league. “You felt bad that you couldn’t find out how good he could be, but Curry was one of many. There was a guy from my hometown, [Grambling quarterback] Mike Howell, who had to play defensive back for the Cleveland Browns [1965-72]. I think there were several guys where were denied an opportunity by the time and the system. I think there was a progression before me and a progression after me. Things really had to be perfect. There was an expression that you needed to have an ooh-wee arm to make it.”

“You had Matthew Reed [of Grambling drafted by the Bills in 1973, played a year in the WFL and three years in Canada], Jim Kearney [Prairie View, who played 12 seasons at safety], David Mays [Texas Southern, made the Cleveland Browns as a free agent and played 1976, 77 and a season with the Bills], Jimmy Jones [1973 USC graduate who played seven years in Canada] that might not have been stars, but could’ve backed up.”

Detroit Lions’ Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney has clear memories of Curry’s tools. Coming out of Gulport, Miss., Barney was recruited by Gilliam and saw the Tigers play twice. “Their offense was way ahead of its time and Curry was a phenomenal player,” said Barney. “Watching him work with Richardson was a thing of beauty. It’s a shame; Curry definitely should’ve been the first black quarterback to play in the NFL.”

Originally recruited as a quarterback, Barney found the Tigers were set with Bennie Crenshaw. The new offensive coordinator, Bob Hill, who came from Hattiesburg, brought in Bobby Thompson, who started as Barney moved to defensive back and return specialist.

Before heading to training camp with the Lions in 1966, he stopped in Chicago and worked out with Gloster Richardson and Curry for four days.

“Curry had a great football mind and love for the game,” said Barney. “He told me what I was doing right and gave me some pointers on my footwork and other technical tips which were helpful. I covered Gloster and Curry quarterbacked. Whatever throw needed to be made he could do it: the deep post, the out, touch when it was required.”

According to Duncan, Gilliam’s teaching coupled with Curry’s ability to absorb and implement the offense made it run with precision and efficiency. “Roy was really a born leader,” said Duncan. “He was a diligent student of the sport and knew how to approach each game as a student and a teacher. He was able to read any defense, was very organized and knew how to treat people. Roy had a superb arm and was able to deliver it on the money wherever you were on the field. He was the total package. Gilliam and Curry were innovative and way ahead of their time. After the 1962 season, a scout from the Canadian Football Leauge told Curry, ‘You should come to Canada, you can play your natural position. You’ll never play quarterback in the NFL.’ I wish I would’ve listened to him; I would’ve been there a long time,” he said.

Drafted in the 12th round by the Steelers, Curry’s 4.4-40 speed was a contributing factor in making the squad. Coach Buddy Parker told Curry they wanted to use him as a runner and thrower, but he had difficulty picking up the blocking schemes. Next, he was moved to defensive back.

A comment by Pittsburgh Courier editor Bill Nunn [and Steelers scout from 1969-87] that Curry was being played out of position seemed to help. Toward the end of training camp, they put Curry, a long-strider, at wide receiver where he began to develop. Pro Bowl linebacker Andy Russell, who played on the Steelers 1974 and ’75 Super Bowls, was a rookie in 1963.

“Roy was a gifted athlete who was very fast and could catch anything,” said Russell. “I had no idea he was a quarterback in college. It wasn’t easy [then]. There were very few blacks [Brady Keyes, John Baker, Bob Ferguson, Joe Womack and John Henry Johnson] and Parker hated rookies.” Starting at quarterback was Ed Brown with USC rookie Bill Nelsen his backup.

“Brown had a big arm, he could throw the ball through a wall,” said Curry. “I thought I had a better arm than Nelsen.”

Initially they put Curry at halfback with the idea of utilizing his arm as an option threat. By mid-season, Curry found a comfort zone on special teams and receiver. Playing in six games, he made an impression when the Steelers hosted the Chicago Bears at Forbes Field, three days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Coming into the game, Curry was matched up against All-Pro safety Rosey Taylor, who led the NFL with nine interceptions that year. Beating Taylor on a corner route, Curry caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ed Brown tying the game at 14 with 31 seconds left in the half. The highlight many became familiar with and made famous by NFL films was Bears’ Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka who caught a pass from Bill Wade, ran through the Steelers defense breaking five tackles before being caught from behind and then rolling over and lying on his back in exhaustion. The game ended tied at 17.

Against Philadelphia the next week with a sub-32 degree temperature, Curry was summoned from the bench midway through the first quarter. Accelerating for an overthrown pass, he pulled a hamstring. Less than a month later, a 33-17 defeat to the Giants at a freezing Yankee Stadium put New York into the championship. The Bears beat the Giants 14-10 in Wrigley Field for the title.

The following season, with the hamstring still on the mend, he was released at the end of training camp. In 1965, he tried out with the Bears. Keeping pace in practice, Curry survived a couple of bone-rattling hits by rookie middle linebacker Dick Butkus. A strained hamstring at the end of training camp moved coach George Halas to put him on the taxi squad. Instead, Curry opted to retire, a decision he still regrets.

“Biggest mistake of my life,” he said. “Halas was doing me a favor; I just wasn’t thinking.” A few weeks later, receiver Jim Jones broke his collarbone during warmups and Jim Hill was activated. Curry came back in 1966, but his hamstring wouldn’t hold up and he moved into coaching.

“We had Johnny Morris, Dick Gordon and myself at receiver,” said Jones, who joined Curry as a defensive coordinator in the late 1970s and early 80s at Robeson High School. Jones and his wife Willa own the popular nightclub, 50 Yard Line, on the South Side in the Chatham neighborhood. “You could see Roy had the talent [at receiver] to play in the league. But coming in as a free agent you had to be extraordinary and be in the perfect situation because there were a limited number of spots. I don’t think it was any knock against Curry, there were just some great players ahead of him.”

Through the late 1960s and early 70s, Curry worked out in the summers at the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field with the Bears’ Jones, Gordon, Andy Livingston, Gloster Richardson [who was with the Chiefs] and a few other pro players. He was the quarterback as the group kept their timing sharp for the ensuing NFL training camps.

An assistant for two years at Dunbar Vocational High School, Curry was head coach at Robeson High School from 1969-2000. A highlight was the 1982 squad that went to the state championship with only 25 players. “Roy is a beautiful person; that’s why I went over to Robeson to work with him,” said Jones. “He had a great feel for the kids and the community. He was a no-nonsense guy who brought a lot of new ideas onto the field and that’s why we were so successful.”

There is a special bond among the group who played in the black colleges from the 1960s. Held in high regard as a player and person, Curry often socialized with friends in Chicago and Jackson, Miss., [where his wife is from and they have a second home].

One of Curry’s trips was in 1971 when he and his wife, Carolyn, hopped into his new Cadillac Eldorado and drove to Las Vegas. On the way, they stopped in Kansas City for four days and stayed with Gloster Richardson and Otis Taylor, who were enjoying their Super Bowl IV victory over Minnesota. Staying at The Sands Hotel, they went to see Ike and Tuner at the International Hotel. Curry’s sister, Earline, had dated Ike Turner in high school. He told the waiter who he was and asked if they could see Turner. They were quickly escorted backstage and paid a visit.

“My wife has a great personality and she got along with the girls,” he said. “We had a real nice time reminiscing with Ike; he introduced us to everyone. Colonel Parker walked in and when he heard we were from Clarksdale he invited us to see Elvis Presley, who was playing next door. We ended up staying for the second Ike and Tina show. My wife still kids me she missed out on seeing Elvis.”

A record of 240 wins against 73 loses put Curry into the Illinois Coaches Association Hall of Fame. A passionate teacher whose affection for the game was palpable, he left an indelible mark on his players and many coaches he mentored. Over a dozen of his former players are coaching in the Chicago Public League. Mickey Pruitt was a running back-free safety on the 1980 group that lost to Mt. Carmel in the Chicago Prep Bowl and the miraculous 1982 team that had 14 of the 25 players who went both ways and finished second in state. Pruitt played three seasons with the Bears and two with the Dallas Cowboys including the 1992 Super Bowl.

“In practice we went over play after play so the game was more like a dress rehearsal,” said Pruitt. “We always felt prepared; we knew everything he put together would work well. Coach loved to teach and he was always willing to help a lot of other coaches. Going from what he taught made it easier for me in college [at Colorado] and at the pro level to pick things up.”

Handing over the head coaching reins to Fabray Collins in 2000, Curry remains an invaluable resource. Putting out just over 20 players, who enter high school with minimal football experience, the four-person staff places a premium on players ability to absorb a wealth of information. Carrying a firm voice and guiding hand, Curry relays instruction wherever it’s needed.

“You need to look left to hold the linebackers before you come back [right] and throw the ball,” he said to first-year senior quarterback Lamont Barnes. “The slot receiver needs to be closer to the line. You need to run the skinny post to take the cornerback with you so this spot is open for the running back.”

Preferring to watch from the stands during the game, Curry outlines a number of points offers a brief input at the half and after the game. Every year, a number of students will receive scholarships from smaller colleges. Quarterback Johnny Johnson and wide receiver Brandon Green [2008 graduates] teamed with Charles Brown [2007] for three years and a record of 28-7 [they started for four years on the varsity]. Johnson and Green received scholarships to Minnesota and are in the process of earning masters degrees in education. Brown lettered four years at Northwestern and is working for Chicago Scholars as a launch program manager. Now a financial analyst for Allina Hospitals in Minneapolis, Minn., Johnson lettered four years at defensive back; Green did the same as wide receiver special teamer.

“I was 5-8 and 160 pounds, but ran a 4.48-40,” said Johnson, who started at quarterback for two years. “Coach Curry explained I would have to go back a little further in my drops and roll out to find the hole between the line and I’d have to be faster mentally. Everything was about attention to detail. We were so versatile. We’d run the spread half the time, the pro-style and sometimes in the fourth quarter we’d run the wishbone or the Wing T; other teams just couldn’t defend our passing attack. We adjusted throughout the game. He’d show the receivers how to find the hole in the defense and how to run the right route. We’d drill everything in practice until we had it perfect, so in the game it was second nature. Coach Curry always stressed being accountable and responsible in everything you do. When I got to college I felt ahead of the game because of the background I came in with. The whole staff stayed in touch with me while I was at Minnesota. When we played at Purdue or Illinois, there would be 40 people from Robeson who would come to the games. It’s a genuine family atmosphere that we had and it is a big help for me to get where I am at today.”

When you hear ‘Mr. Falcon,’ you immediately think of Tommy Nobis. A graduate of the University of Texas, Nobis was named to five Pro Bowls during his career. He is also part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team for the 1960s, a team that includes Hall of Fame linebackers Dick Butkus, Ray

When you hear ‘Mr. Falcon,’ you immediately think of Tommy Nobis. A graduate of the University of Texas, Nobis was named to five Pro Bowls during his career. He is also part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team for the 1960s, a team that includes Hall of Fame linebackers Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke and Dave Robinson.

Nobis was an All-State football player in high school. That continued into his time at the University of Texas, where he played both offensive guard and linebacker. Nobis won All-American honors twice, once as a linebacker and once as an offensive guard. He also won the Outland Trophy (1965, awarded for college football’s best interior lineman) and the Maxwell Award (1965, awarded to the best college football player in the country), and was named All-Southwest Conference three consecutive years. “Linebacker was a little more fun,” recalled Nobis. “Offensive line is very important to what your team was going to do. We had a really good offensive line when I played there, and I was proud of being a part of that. But the excitement for me was stopping a guy for no gain, or knocking a guy to cause a fumble. Playing linebacker, there were opportunities to really help your team and the excitement was there.”

He recalled the defensive schemes employed at Texas; “We shifted around a little bit. It was probably a 5-3, but it could have been a 5-4. The linebackers shifted around pretty good. We would bring in different secondary. At times, you would have five defensive backs. Other times, you might only have three defensive backs. The conference was naturally more running than passing. There were teams that would pass a good bit, but most of it was running.” He continued, “With Texas, I was more of an inside linebacker. We didn’t have what I grew to know as a middle linebacker in pro ball in a 4-3 defense. We didn’t play a lot of that defense at Texas. We geared up toward the run and you put in more linemen.”

Nobis also commented on his coach at Texas; “Coach [Darrell] Royal was real good at talking about priorities and what they need to be. When you are playing a team sport, your number one priority needs to be geared toward the team. We were coached that way and most of us thought that way. That is how we were coached and really, how I was brought up with my dad. He talked a whole lot like Coach Royal. He taught me that if you are going to play a team sport, you need to hold up your end of the deal. That is what I always try to do.”

In 1966, Nobis was drafted by both the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and the Houston Oilers of the American Football League. He chose to sign with the Falcons. Nobis recalled, “Back then, the two leagues were still in existence and competing against one another. I always wanted to be in the NFL, because it had a little more prestige when it came to pro football. If I could do it, I wanted to take a shot to make it with the so called ‘better teams.’ That was a dream come true for me when Atlanta chose me and I was able to work that out.”

He was named NFL Rookie of the Year after the 1966 season. It is said that Nobis recorded 294 tackles that season. However, that cannot be confirmed as tackles were not an official statistic.

Nobis entered the league as a middle linebacker during the time of Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke. He commented, “I knew who those guys were and knew that they were good football players. We used to have 16mm film that we would watch on the opposing team coming up from week to week. Our coaches would have film built up on different players, and if I could find film that had a Butkus or a Nitschke, that was a film that I really studied. They were outstanding during that time and they would probably be outstanding any time. If they were playing today, I am sure that they would be dangerous because of their will to be a good player.”

Norb Hecker was the coach with the Atlanta Falcons his rookie season. “I got along with Norb very well,” recalled Nobis. “It was going out and doing your job to the best of your abilities. Coach Hecker was a good coach and he certainly wanted to win, just like any coach. He probably did not have the players. He probably had too many players like myself that had the desire, but maybe didn’t have the top abilities to go all the way and to do something like win a Super Bowl.”

In 1968, after just slightly over two years as head coach of the Falcons, Norb Hecker was replaced by Norm Van Brocklin. Over the 31 games coached by Hecker, he had a record of 4-26-1.

Nobis recalled, “Norm was an old-school guy. You did things his way.” He continued, “You worked hard and you listened to the coaches. You learned and you progressed through the season, then you would be alright with Coach Van Brocklin. If you deserved to be treated like a man, he was going to treat you like a man. If you didn’t, then it was going to be hard to deal with Norm Van Brocklin.”

The team improved under Van Brocklin, posting their first winning record in franchise history, but it faded quickly. The 1973 team went 9-5, but quickly dropped to 3-11 in 1974. He was replaced by defensive coordinator Marion Campbell after eight games through the 1974 season. The team went 4-10 in 1975 and 1976.

Nobis called it a career after the 1976 season. “I had played eleven years,” he said. “The old body had taken a pretty good beating. If you think about major college football, and you think about pro football, and you think about the position I played, which was a contact position, there were not many plays where there was no contact involved. Most guys know when it is time. The smart ones go ahead and close it out and move on to whatever is next in line for them.”

Nobis wanted to get into coaching after he retired as a player. He recalled, “I was a physical education major in college and I always wanted to be a coach. But, if I couldn’t be a coach, then I wanted to work in a professional organization around the coaches, and learning and succeeding in that area.” However, the opportunities did not exist for Nobis. Instead, he joined the front office of the Falcons. “Mr. [Rankin] Smith was the owner of the team. I always had a good relationship with him. He made a statement along the way that when I decided to retire, that he would like to talk to me about staying with the organization. That was something that I really welcomed. It was just a potential opportunity at that time. It worked out well, I would like to think, for the Falcons. It certainly worked out well for the Nobis family.”

He had various roles within the organization. “Over the years, I did all kinds of things,” recalled Nobis. “I never coached. I would help some at practice with holding dummies and things. I did help some with the coaching, but I never really was a coach. I did scout. I was on the road for a period of time. I am talking about several years. I would look at the upcoming graduating classes and write up reports. The travel and writing up reports is certainly very important to the success of any professional team. You need to have a good scouting program. It is something that does not get the credit that it deserves. When I was scouting, we had about five men that did nothing but scout. It was exciting for me at the time, but the thing that I didn’t like about it was the travel. One day you might be at the University of Texas, and the next day at the University of Oklahoma or at the University of Southern California. That travel took a toll on me, so I got out of that after a while. My wife and I were building up a family, and to be on the road for four or five days a week was not the ideal situation. Thank goodness the Falcons went along with my decision.”

After scouting for the Falcons, Nobis moved into the marketing department. “There is a real marketing effort that each team does in selling their logo and their identity. Teams that win, obviously, have an easier time with selling that relationship. At the time, going out and selling the Falcons was tough. But, it was the NFL and it was a way for the businesses in the Atlanta area to become associated with the team. There were some people, win or lose, that were true Falcons fans. A lot of those fans were business people. Thank goodness, because it made my job a lot easier.”

After marketing, Nobis moved into the pro scouting department. He recalled, “That was where we were dedicated to scouting players on the other NFL teams. There would be time when teams would cut a player or teams would try to trade a player, and you would need information if your team was going to get involved. I was one of the people in our organization and did that for a couple of years. That was a real good challenge.”

Currently, Nobis has no official role with the organization. “I have been a season ticket holder, and certainly a Falcon fan. There are times that I will do something for the franchise and there are times that the franchise will do something for me. We still have a relationship, but it is more like a friendship. I am still a big Falcon fan.”

Nobis had always been active in the community, including during his playing days with the Falcons. In the mid-1970s, he started the Tommy Nobis Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing job training, as well as vocational and employment support for people with disabilities. The Center is now called Nobis Works. According to Nobis, “Nobis Works is strictly non-profit. I never took a salary from them. I was a volunteer and worked in a non-profit, but it was a real profit for me by helping people who needed help. Most of these people were young, and in a lot of cases school-aged.” He continued, “The big thing with a non-profit is to have a need that is truly there and is really a need. The need was that there are people that wanted to work, but they couldn’t get a job unless they had some kind of training. It just all made sense. You take a young man or young lady out of high school, and they are not quite ready on their own to go out and get a job or hold a job without some additional employment-type training. That is what the center was. We were that step that they could take that would help them go out and get a job and keep a job.”

He was also heavily involved with the Georgia Special Olympics. “For years, I was on the board and had the title of State Coach. The Special Olympics is what got me involved with young people that needed help in some way. The Special Olympics is a recreational organization for people with disabilities, and I can certainly relate to that because recreation was a big part of my life with sports. I saw what it could do for me, and here you had people who needed opportunities to have recreation and in a lot of cases, were not getting it. That is why I got involved and I saw the good things that could come out of it. The principles of having a good team. If you follow those principles and are a good team player, then more than likely, you will be able to go out in your own life and take care of things that are required of you to be successful.” His work with the organization earned him the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Award.

When asked if he thought that he would ever be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he joked, “If you have got a vote, I would appreciate it.” He continued, “That is not a mystery to me. I see people that are inducted annually. In most cases, I feel that it is well deserved. You think about the number of men that played the game, and the number of men that had outstanding careers, and the number of men that really deserve that kind of recognition and haven’t received it, there are a lot of guys out there. I may be one of them, depending on what you think of my abilities and what I did. I may not be one of those. The fact that you asked that question, it is important to me and the NFL was a big part of my life. If somebody wants to recognize me for having that type of commitment, it would certainly make me feel good. You don’t always have to receive a paycheck or receive a gift, but recognition of some sort is very meaningful. I find that to be more meaningful to me than putting a dollar in the bank or whatever.”

In 2005, Nobis was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When the topic of the Hall of Very Good came up and this author mentioned that the Professional Football Researchers Association felt that his career was worthy of recognition, Nobis responded, “That type of statement is certainly very, very meaningful to me.” He continued, ‘To hear that the people of the organization think enough about me to voice the opinion that you voiced, I feel very good about that. That is what keeps me ticking. I know where I have been and I know what I have done. If other people want to recognize me for that, then I am very grateful and thankful.”

When asked what he is doing now, he joked, “Talking to you on the phone.” He continued, “It is interesting that you ask that. From time to time, I have different projects that I get involved with. Most of them are non-profit. I have friends that have different things that they are involved in. Most of my friends have helped me over the years, so I try to help them. But, I do not have to look too far to get involved with things.”

Nobis currently enjoys retirement in Georgia with his wife Lynn.

Teams:

Atlanta Falcons (1966-76)

Awards:

NFL Rookie of the Year (1966)

Named to the Pro Bowl (1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972)

Inducted into the Texas Longhorn Hall of Honor (1976)

Named to Sports Illustrated’s All-Century Team (1869-1969)

Named to the Football News’ All-Time All-America Team

Named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-Century Team

Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1981)

Inducted into the State of Texas Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1983)

Inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame (1995)

Inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor (2004)

Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2005)

Inducted into the Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Hall of Fame (2007)

Not every idea works out. In this episode, we highlight a few from pro football’s history that failed. We tell the stories of a new uniform numbering system, the biggest waiver steal of all time, and a choose-your-own-adventure football game where the home viewers called the plays.

Music featured in this episode by the following (in order of appearance):

When asked about the top defensive backs not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ken Riley’s name is always on the list. However, he never received the recognition that he deserved during his playing career. In his 15-year tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals, he led the league in interceptions three times and is

When asked about the top defensive backs not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ken Riley’s name is always on the list. However, he never received the recognition that he deserved during his playing career. In his 15-year tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals, he led the league in interceptions three times and is currently ranked fifth all-time in career interceptions. Riley felt that his demeanor may be the reason for his exclusion. “I am low key. I always thought that if you go out and do your job, you will get rewarded. Unfortunately, if you do not go out and be flashy or do some things that bring attention to yourself, your stats do not mean anything.”

Riley was not always a defensive back. Throughout high school and college, he played quarterback. He was the starter at Florida A&M from 1966 through 1968, and in 1968, he led the team in points scored and touchdowns.

He was drafted by the Bengals in 1969. Riley recalled his time with the team, “It was a great experience for me. Having been a quarterback in high school and college, and from being from a small school, and being a black quarterback at that time, it was gratifying.” Riley continued, “My first goal was to go to college and get an education to better myself in life. Then, this opportunity came along. I was drafted in the sixth round [of the 1969 NFL Draft]. Back then, they had 17 rounds. I was at a basketball game and someone came up to me and said that the Bengals wanted to talk to me. They are thinking about drafting you in the next round. Paul Brown gave me an opportunity and I was able to take advantage of it. They drafted Guy Dennis in the fifth round. They drafted me in the next round. I was their quarterback-slash-defensive back-slash-wide receiver. I was probably one of the first ‘slashes’ of that time. A lot of black quarterbacks at that time were converted to other positions.”

When asked if he thought he would play quarterback for the Bengals, he responded, “I did not know at the time. When I got to training camp, Coach Brown said that I was going to be a cornerback. I was put in that position and I had never played it before. I think that was good, as I did not have any bad habits. They felt that I had the quick feet and could change direction. They took a chance on me and it worked out well. I never looked back. I was just happy to have the opportunity.”

Riley had a lot of respect for Paul Brown. “It was a great experience. He was small in stature, but he could carry a big stick. I had a lot of respect for him. I learned a lot.” He continued, “There were a lot of things I questioned back then, but when I became a coach, I could see why he did what he did. He revolutionized football.”

Riley expanded on his impressions of Brown: “He believed in being punctual. If the meeting started at five o’clock, everybody would be there thirty minutes before. He didn’t believe in you being late. He talked about life. He cared about his athletes. If you got out of line, he would discipline you. If you didn’t do your job, he got rid of you. That was his philosophy. Do what you are supposed to do and do not get into trouble. Then, he would believe in you. You took tests. If you couldn’t do it on paper, you couldn’t do it on the field. We had classrooms and a playbook. You were assigned responsibilities. You had to know your position first. Then, you had to know what everyone around you was doing. You became a student of the game, which I thought was good.”

Riley retired from the Bengals after the 1983 season. During his tenure, the Bengals made the playoffs five times and appeared in the Super Bowl (a 26-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers).

After retiring as a player, Riley went into coaching. He commented, “Forrest Gregg was my coach. I retired in ’83. When I went home, I thought I would be an administrator in the school system somewhere. He asked me if I wanted to coach pro ball. I told him that I wanted to give the Bengals an opportunity. I contacted the Bengals. They said ‘Yeah. You would be working with Dick LeBeau in the secondary.’ Forrest Gregg said, ‘No. I want you to be my secondary coach. Period. I think that you are ready. I want you to come and take over the secondary.’ I went with him. I thought that I was too close to the [Bengals] players and that I needed to get away.”

He coached with the Green Bay Packers for two years, before moving on to a head coaching position with Florida A&M. Riley remembered, “I got summoned by my [college] coach Jake Gaither. He wanted me to come back to Florida A&M and be the head football coach there. I had my eyes set on being a head coach in the NFL. At that time, they said that most of the black guys did not have any head coaching experience. Back then, there were not too many black assistants. There was a few. Tony Dungy and Emmitt Thomas. I opted to go at [the college] level.”

During his time at Florida A&M, the Rattlers won two Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference titles and compiled a 48-39-2 record.

After the 1985 season, Riley became Florida A&M’s athletic director and served in that position for nine years. He recalled, “They changed presidents and he said that he wanted to move in another direction, which means that you didn’t have a job any more.”

According to Riley, “I came home for a year. I got tired of sitting around the house. I was only 54 or 55 [years old]. I went into the school system here. I liked working with young people and became dean of students at [Winter Haven High School].” He retired from Winter Haven last year.

In 2010, Riley was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. Formed in 2003, the Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When informed of his induction, Riley commented, “I think that you’ve done your homework. I am very appreciative of you recognizing that. I am very appreciative that someone looked at the stats and felt that I was worthy for my accomplishments. I did well both on and off of the field.”

Riley seems to have Hall of Fame statistics, but induction into the hallowed halls of Canton has eluded him. Riley commented, “If you get 65 interceptions, you are getting the job done. I led the conference three times. My accomplishments speak for themselves.” Currently, he ranks fifth all-time in interceptions with 65. He is surrounded by Hall of Famers on that list: Paul Krause (81), Emlen Tunnell (79), Rod Woodson (71), ‘Night Train’ Lane (68), Ronnie Lott (63), Dick LeBeau (62), Emmitt Thomas (58), Mel Blount (57) and Lem Barney (56). There are more Hall of Famers farther down the list. Obviously, he has the statistics to get into the Hall of Fame.

Another argument people make against his induction is the lack of Pro Bowl nods. According to Riley, “The system is all screwed up. A lot of times, there were guys who made the Pro Bowl based on what they did the previous year. Lemarr Parrish and I are good friends. In 1976, I had nine interceptions and led the conference. I had three in the last game against the Jets. I will never forget it. Charlie Winters was my secondary coach. They took me out in the third quarter. He said that he didn’t want me to get hurt, because, ‘There is no way that this time they would pass you up.’ Lemarr [Parrish] was hurt half of the season that year. When they picked the Pro Bowl, they selected him, which I never understood and neither did he. I can’t fault him, but the system is all screwed up. My last two years, I led the conference in interceptions and I made the press all-pro.” Riley never made the Pro Bowl.

According to an August 3, 2013 article in the New York Times, teammate Cris Collinsworth said of Riley, “You’ll never find a bigger advocate of his making the Hall than me.” Collinsworth continued, “I probably learned more football from Kenny Riley than from anyone I played for or against. Everything I did that worked against everybody else never worked against him. But as soon as he would pick off a pass on my route or beat me to a spot, he’d tell me why, explain what I’d done wrong. He wanted me to be better because that made the team better.” Riley responded to the glowing praise from his teammate, “That is very gratifying and heartwarming. While I was on my way up, I had to learn on my own. Helping others helped me concentrate on the little things.”

Riley is currently retired and lives in Florida. He focuses his time working with kids in his community.

Marlin Briscoe was on top of the world. He had set rookie records as the first black quarterback to start in the NFL and won two Super Bowl Rings as a wide receiver with the Miami Dolphins. However, drug addiction almost ruined his life.

Briscoe was a fourteenth-round draft choice out of the University of

Marlin Briscoe was on top of the world. He had set rookie records as the first black quarterback to start in the NFL and won two Super Bowl Rings as a wide receiver with the Miami Dolphins. However, drug addiction almost ruined his life.

Briscoe was a fourteenth-round draft choice out of the University of Nebraska – Omaha. Briscoe recalled, “I came into the league as Denver’s starting cornerback.” However, after an injury to the Broncos’ starting quarterback Steve Tensi, Briscoe received his opportunity. He had played quarterback from Pop Warner through college, so the position was familiar to him. However, there was a stigma that African-Americans could not play quarterback. According to the critics, African-Americans did not have the “mental capabilities” that were required of the position. Briscoe proved them wrong.

That rookie campaign saw Briscoe throw for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns in only a partial season. While those numbers do not look gaudy by today’s standards, let’s put them into perspective. Briscoe still holds the following Denver Broncos records:

• 1st in total offense by a rookie (1,897) • 1st in touchdown passes by a rookie (14) • 1st (tied) in most touchdown passes in a game by a rookie (4). (He also holds positions two and three with two games with three touchdown passes.)

He also ranks (Broncos all-time records): • 3rd in most passing yards by a rookie in a season (1,589) • 3rd in most completions by a rookie in a season (93) • 4th in highest average gain-per-attempt by a rookie (7.09 yards)

Even with a record-setting performance his rookie year – records that still stand 45 years later – head coach Lou Saban did not want Briscoe to return as the starting quarterback. Broscoe recalled, “It was obvious that they did not have me in their plans.” He continued, “I had gone back to Omaha to finish up six hours that I needed to graduate. At that time, they had acquired Pete Liske from Canada. I heard it through the grapevine that they were having quarterback meetings and I was not even invited, even though I was the starting quarterback at the end of the season. That meant that they did not even have plans for me to compete. That is all I wanted. To be able to compete. I had no misgivings about feeling that I was going to be the starting quarterback. Steve Tensi was the quarterback, but he got hurt the previous year. All I wanted to do was to be able to compete, but they had no plans for me. The fact that they did not even invite me to the meetings, that was a swipe. It was highly unfair. As a matter of fact, when I found out about the meetings, I flew back to Denver and stood outside of the office where they were having the meetings. When they came out, Saban could not even look me in the face. He did not even know I was coming.”

The situation did not improve at training camp. “When I got to camp, it was apparent that they had no plans to even let me into the fray. I asked for my release, because I thought that with the success that I had, it would give me an opportunity to play for another team. However, that was not the case. I heard through the grapevine that I was blackballed. [Saban] wouldn’t release me right away. He said, ‘Wait four days.’ I was trying to figure out why he wanted me to wait four days. By the end of those four days, my name was tainted. It was spread around the league that I was a malcontent. That I wouldn’t play another position. That is what they wanted me to do. I had no offers. Not even a sniff at quarterback.”

However, with Briscoe’s success as a starting quarterback, attitudes started to change around the rest of the league. “They drafted James Harris in 1969 as a quarterback. I don’t think that it would have happened if I had failed to show that a black man could lead on that level. There were a lot of naysayers out there that thought that a black man couldn’t throw and that they didn’t have the mental capabilities of leading on that level. They thought that there would be fan backlash and that fans would not come to the game. Also, they didn’t think that white players, particularly, would follow a black quarterback. Now, look at my line in Denver. They were all white and three-quarters of them played on teams from the south. The teams they played on didn’t have a black quarterback. They didn’t have black players at all. A lot of the guys, I still see them today, say that, ‘We could have won with you.’ Not only did you have to have respect of the white players, but you had to gain the respect of black players. You had to gain the respect of all of your teammates that you could play the position. I was in a situation where I had a heavy burden to prove that I could play that position and be a leader. Luckily where I went to college, it was a majority white school, but I was able to quarterback a multicultural team. I never thought of myself as a black quarterback. I think that is what saved me. Ethnicity never entered my mind. I was the quarterback. I was the leader of the team. So, when I got the opportunity, the pressure of being a black quarterback really didn’t enter into the picture. Fortunately, I had already been through the scenario of leading players, whether they be black or white or whatever. “

Briscoe was the first black quarterback to start in the NFL or AFL. However, he was not the first black quarterback since reintegration of the league. That distinction goes to Willie Thrower of the Chicago Bears. Thrower played sparingly for the 1953 Bears team, only throwing eight passes. But he blazed a trail for all African-American quarterbacks.

Briscoe recalled, “You won’t believe this. Right after my rookie season, one of my receivers was named Jimmy Jones. He used to play for the [Chicago] Bears. I went to Chicago to see my girlfriend. I contacted Jimmy and he took me to this bar called The Presidents. So, Jimmy is introducing me to the bartender, ‘This is Marlin Briscoe. He is the first black quarterback in the NFL.’ This guy was sitting next to me. He said, ‘You weren’t the first black quarterback.’ I said, ‘I was.’ He said, ‘No, you weren’t.’ I said, ‘Well, who was?’ He said, ‘I was. My name is Willie Thrower.’ It couldn’t happen in a million years. I knew that he existed, and he was sitting right next to me. We sat there and we talked for a couple of hours. I met him by happenstance going to this lounge with my receiver. I knew who he was, and for him to be sitting right next to me. It was kind of crazy, but I am glad that I got a chance to meet him. That was one of the highlights of my life.”

But, Briscoe was out of a job. He contemplated going to the Canadian Football League (CFL) to play quarterback. Did he think that he would have a shot to play in the CFL as a quarterback? “Yes. I went up to practice one day. I practiced at quarterback and some at defensive back. After that day’s practice, I went back to the hotel and got to assessing things. I decided that the CFL wasn’t for me. No disrespect to Canadian football, it’s just that with the success that I had in the NFL, I felt that I belonged there.”

He never gave up on trying to get back into the league. “I called around to the teams that I had success against my rookie year to see what was out there,” recalled Briscoe. “I almost beat the Oakland Raiders. I beat the Buffalo Bills twice. John Rausch, who was the coach of the Oakland Raiders, moved on to Buffalo. So I called him. He indicated that he had no need for a quarterback. He drafted James Harris, and he had Tom Flores and Jack Kemp. He said that he needed help at wide receiver. I told him that I never played wide receiver before, but that I would try it. They put me on a flight to Buffalo and the rest was history.”

Briscoe played wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills from 1969 through 1971. In that time, he racked up 2,171 yards on 133 receptions and was named to the Pro Bowl. Not bad for someone who never played the position.

After three years in Buffalo, his time was up. At the conclusion of the 1971 season, Buffalo traded Briscoe to the Miami Dolphins. “I felt like I hit the lottery,” recalled Briscoe. “It was kind of amazing, because Lou Saban was my coach at Denver. He denied me the opportunity to compete. He blackballed me from the league, I believe. There is no way in the world that you can be in the running for Rookie of the Year and to do all of the things that I did that year, and not get an opportunity to compete. That is all I wanted. So, after I was released and I go to Buffalo, I ended up being the Most Valuable Player over O.J. Simpson, at a position I never played before. A year later, I lead the league in receptions and made All-Pro. I also got entrenched in the community doing community work. Now, I am pretty much a fixture in the Buffalo community, but I was playing out my option and negotiating a new contract. Now, who do they hire to be head coach, but Lou Saban. So now, he is coming in and he has to deal with me on another level. He can’t just deal with a fourteenth-round draft choice that he could just mouse around. I was arguably one of the top receivers in the league.” In the 1970 season, Briscoe was ranked second in the league in receptions, second in receiving yards and seventh in receiving touchdowns. In 1971, he was the team’s leading receiver based on receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Briscoe continued, “At the end of the year, the [Miami] Dolphins were playing [the] Dallas [Cowboys] in the Super Bowl and I went to the game. I ran into Don Shula, and the only game we won was against the Dolphins.” The Bills went 1-13 in 1971. Briscoe continued, “I always had great games against the Dolphins, win or lose, in Buffalo. Even as a quarterback, I always had great games against the Dolphins. [The Dolphins] felt that they needed somebody to take the pressure off of Paul [Warfield] and I was playing out my option and I was available. [Shula] contacted Saban and said, ‘Saban, hurry up.’ [Saban] traded me to Miami and the rest is history.”

Briscoe immediately noticed a difference in attitude with the Dolphins. When asked about the differences, Briscoe commented, “Preparation. I led the league in receptions, but I didn’t know anything about playing wide receiver until I talked to Paul Warfield and got tutelage from him. I was just playing on natural ability. That is the only reason why I was able to make the transition from quarterback to receiver. I realized, in four years between Denver and Buffalo, that I knew nothing about football. I was just playing on talent and innate ability. When I got to Miami, everything was detailed. Conditioning was superior. When I got down there, I learned about professional football. I learned that everything that you do, you do for a reason. When I was in Buffalo, I used to make all of these circus catches. When I got to Miami, I heard Paul Warfield, ‘1…2…3…4…5…’ He was counting his steps. It was always a precise distance. I took heed of that. I learned to block better. I learned the philosophies of the game. Time management. We didn’t have that [in Denver or Buffalo].”

It was all business on the Dolphins. According to Briscoe, “We didn’t hang out a lot together. There were certain cliques. We didn’t go out and have a beer together. It wasn’t like that. But, when we got on the field for practice, it was like we were all one. Off the field, we had guys go different ways. Everybody had their own clique of one or two guys. When we went to the practice field, it was all business. How that happened is that Shula was such an organizer, we didn’t have time to think about other things other than doing our assignments and getting prepared, both mentally and physically, for the game.”

However, it was that attitude that formed the team that went undefeated in 1972. “It was one game at a time,” recalled Briscoe. “There were certainly a couple of games that could have broken our back, like the game at Pittsburgh in the playoffs or the game against the Minnesota Vikings during the regular season the we could have easily lost, but we pulled it out. We were a team that was well-prepared in every area that you need to be prepared: physically and mentally. If guys got hurt, we had people who could step up. When Bob Griese got hurt, Earl Morrall, at 37 years old, he is the one that took us through the season.”

Briscoe added, “We were always in better condition. When we played in the Orange Bowl, the heat and humidity was unbearable. A lot of teams that came through there would wilt. By the second quarter, they were out of it. When I first got there, we had four-a-days. I had never been in better shape in my life, and I worked out religiously. I think the fact that we took it one game at a time. Attention to detail. Everybody had a specific role. I led the team in receptions in Buffalo. Now, I have Paul Warfield on the other side. How many passes would I get, when we only threw 13 times a game? I had to realize that it wasn’t about me. When you only threw 13 times a game and you had the greatest receiver in the history of the game in Paul Warfield on the other side, I had to make whatever contributions I could make receiving-wise. I had to learn how to block. You had to be a total ball-player. You couldn’t just go out there and catch balls. You had to humble yourself in terms of your ego for the good of the team. I got hurt and Howard Twilley came in and we were still undefeated. When I got better, Shula kept Twilley in. Twilley would play the first half and I would play the second half. If I would have complained, it would have disrupted the balance of the team. We were undefeated. Howard and I were highly competitive. If I would have made waves about playing. They traded a number one draft choice for me. I was playing well until I pulled my hamstring. In the three years I was there, we only lost five games. That tells you what kind of team we had.”

I would be remiss as a historian if I did not mention that the 1972 Miami Dolphins were not the first undefeated team. They were the first team to go undefeated in the Super Bowl era. The 1948 Cleveland Browns were the first undefeated team. In fact, the Browns went 29 straight games without a defeat. It started in the 1947 season, where the Browns won the last eight games of the season, then won the championship. It went through the entire 1948 season, including another championship. It then extended into the sixth game of the 1949 season, when the San Francisco 49ers beat them 56-28. From the start of the 1947 season through the end of the 1949 season, the Browns only lost two games. Again, putting things into perspective, the Browns won more championships in that three-year span than they lost games.

The winning attitude continued for the Dolphins for the 1973 season. Briscoe recalled, “For the 1973 season, we actually had better athletes. We had Ron Sellers and a couple of other guys. Depth-wise that made us a better team on paper. We had the core of guys that we had the previous year. We didn’t lose anybody. We were confident that we could repeat. We still had that winning edge attitude.” While they did not go undefeated, they still won the Super Bowl in 1973.

When asked if he thought he would ever play the quarterback position again, Briscoe responded, “No. I knew that my days were numbered. Although, when [Bob] Griese got hurt, [Don] Shula did put me as an emergency quarterback. He had installed some pass plays for me as a receiver. Reverse pass and those kinds of things. When Griese got hurt, he had me practice at quarterback. He at least had me prepare to play the position and I guess that he had the respect to not only throw it from the receiver position, but as the emergency quarterback. He knew that I could play the position.”

Briscoe played for the Dolphins in 1974, before going to San Diego and Detroit in 1975, and finishing his career in New England in 1976. It was there he met fellow receiver Darryl Stingley. Briscoe recalled, “He was my roommate on the road.”

On August 12, 1978, the New England Patriots were playing the Oakland Raiders in a preseason game. Briscoe recalled, “I saw Darryl the week before it happened. They were playing down at the [Los Angeles] Coliseum, and I went down there and talked to him.”

According to an August 12, 2003 article in the BostonGlobe, Stingley’s agent Jack Sands said, “I remember it as clear as if it was yesterday. We had just negotiated a new contract extension for Darryl that would have made him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league but it hadn’t been announced. They were planning to announce it when the team got back from the West Coast. Just before they left, I remember telling him, `Now, Darryl, don’t go sprain your ankle.'” The contract was never signed.

During the game, New England quarterback Steve Grogan threw a pass over the head of Stingley. Darryl attempted to leap for the ball, but to no avail. Briscoe commented, “I would always tell him that if you can’t get to the ball, don’t go for it, because you put yourself out there. If you can get it, it is your duty and obligation to try and get the ball. But, if you put yourself in a position where the ball is sailing on you, especially in the middle of the field, let it go.” On his way down after leaping for the ball, Stingley was hit in the head and neck area by Oakland Raiders safety Jack Tatum. The hit broke two vertebrae and compressed his spinal cord. Stingley was a quadriplegic. Briscoe commented, “Darryl, he went for a ball that he couldn’t catch. Wilt Chamberlain couldn’t have caught that ball. Jack’s been taught, just like we all have been taught, that you hit. I ran into Jack at a golf tournament in Oakland. He wasn’t doing well. Paul Warfield and I used to attack Jack. We wanted to let him know that receivers could hit, too. We used to double-team him to let him know that he couldn’t just come in to try and hurt us. Darryl was a great kid. We used to sit up and talk a lot. He used to always come over and ask me how to do certain things and we would work on certain things. It really hurt me when he was paralyzed, because he was such a nice guy. It was unbelievable. I talked to Jack. Jack is Jack. When you play football, the game is violent. You can get killed at any time. You can get paralyzed at any time. It is not a game for the faint of heart. Unlike the guys today, we were doing it for no money. We couldn’t even make a down payment on a cheeseburger with what we were making. I can’t even play golf on the pension I get. We loved the game, and the fact that we knew the basics, that helped us not suffer as many injuries as we could have suffered.”

As Briscoe’s career wound down, he faced personal struggles. “I came out to L.A. and I bought a house. I was single and I was still playing with the Patriots. Chuck Fairbanks let me go on the last cut. I always had a job in the off-season and went to school. I always felt that ten years was going to be enough for me and this was my ninth year. I got cut on what would have been my tenth year. That was my game plan. I went out to L.A., settled in and got to partying. I got a job as a broker in Century City in Los Angeles. That was the financial district in L.A. So, I was doing pretty well. I got to partying and hanging out with the wrong crowd. I started to dabble in cocaine, both at the job – a lot of brokers were doing cocaine – and when I came home I would do cocaine. Then, it escalated into a habit. Then, I got married and had a daughter. But, by then, I was spiraling out of control. It got to the point where I was dependent on cocaine. I ended up losing my family and my house and everything that I had worked for. I virtually ended up in the street. For ten years, back and forth, from homelessness to despair, or whatever. A ten year battle, where I lost everything. I had a nice house. A swimming pool. A great job. I got tackled by a linebacker that I couldn’t outrun.”

Briscoe continued, “I tried a couple of different venues. I moved back to my hometown of Omaha. It got worse there. I was a hometown hero and an accomplished student. Everybody saw me at my lowest point. That was a rude awakening. But, I was still an addict. Then, I moved to San Diego.” Briscoe played for the San Diego Chargers for three games in 1975. “I thought that if I could get away again, I could improve my lot in life. I went down there and same thing. I got put in jail twice. After the second time I got put in jail, I said, ‘This is it!’ When I got out, Lance Alworth loaned me $500. I called a friend of mine, Julius, to come and take me back to L.A. I had a chance to think about all of the things I had accomplished. I had to walk to a park where Julius would pick me up. As I was walking from the jail in San Diego, I had to walk through the same dope dealers that I used to buy from the two years I was there. I just kept going. If I had stopped, you wouldn’t be talking to me right now. So, I kept going to the park. Julius came and got me and I went back to L.A. I started teaching school and got my life back little by little.”

Briscoe lost everything in his battle with addiction, including his Super Bowl rings. However, he wanted to set the record straight. “Contrary to opinion, I did not sell my rings to a dope dealer. The rings were sold by a bank in my hometown that I put up for collateral for a loan. A lot of people think that I sold my rings to a dope dealer. That didn’t happen.” Briscoe was able to recover his 1973 ring, but does not have his ring from the 1972 season.

Briscoe kept himself busy. He was a volunteer coach at a local high school. According to Briscoe, “the last three quarterbacks I coached made all-league. I feel that is quite an accomplishment.” He is currently retired from coaching.

Briscoe added, “I also had an annual football camp here in Long Beach at the school that I coached at. It’s free for kids and I have about 400 kids. I bring in a bunch of old-school players. I have John Carlos, Kermit Alexander. Even Mark Sanchez of the Jets coaches my tiny tots. I started coaching at Wilson in 2008. When I got there, I saw all of the undisciplined route running, attitudes and all that stuff. So, I decided to have this camp and have all these guys in like Sam Cunningham that I knew from the NFL. They all volunteered their time. They are all old-school guys that learned the basics of football, and it turned out well. I have a nice sponsorship from Outback. It is always on July 4th weekend.” The camps have not been held for the last few years, but he is actively looking to restart them.

Currently, there is a movie in production about Briscoe’s life. Tentatively titled, “The Magician,” the film is being written by Greg Howard, who also wrote “Remember the Titans” and “Ali.” According to Briscoe, “It is not totally a football movie, but it is a life movie. Hopefully it is inspirational. It is about overcoming obstacles and never giving up. I think that it is a story should be told, even if it wasn’t about me. Talking to Greg, he thinks that this is his best work.” Currently, Briscoe is waiting on NFL approval of the script, which he hopes will happen shortly.

He is also retired from the Boys and Girls Club. ”I worked for them for twelve years,” said Briscoe. “I started as a volunteer, but became assistant project manager when I was in L.A. and directed a $7.5 million building project. The previous director was sick. Since I studied engineering in school, he had me go to all of the meetings with the construction companies and architects. He subsequently died, so I stayed there for three years to see his vision through. Then I became a director and program manager. I decided to retire and pay attention to the projects that I am working on. The Boys and Girls Club was my passion.”

Briscoe is an inspiration to black quarterbacks and has worked with other black quarterbacks to mentor young athletes. According to Briscoe, “Me and Doug Williams and James Harris and Warren Moon. We have a black quarterback foundation called the Field Generals. We went down, several years ago, for a memorial for Joe Gilliam.” Gilliam became the first black quarterback to start a season when he took the field for the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers. He passed away in 2000. Briscoe continued, “All of the black quarterbacks who had played, past or present, were all there. To a man, they came up and thanked me for setting the tone and giving them an opportunity to play. I didn’t think that they knew who I was, but they did.”

Looking back on his career, Briscoe recalled his most memorable accomplishment, “Playing quarterback for the Denver Broncos and proving that a black man could lead. We also won games, and some big games. Proving the naysayers wrong about a black man at that position. All my life, I heard that blacks can’t play the quarterback position. At every level, I basically played in a white environment. I was always a black quarterback in their eyes. But to me, I was never a black quarterback. It was just the position that I wanted to play. At every level, I heard that a black man didn’t have the capabilities of playing that position. On every level, I proved them wrong. All the way to the pros.”

Even though he only played one year as a quarterback in the pros, did he still see himself as a quarterback first and wide receiver second? “Absolutely,” said Briscoe.

“I am thankful to God for allowing me to turn my life around, because a lot of people do not get those same chances.”

Once called “The Meanest Man in Football,” Chicago Bears great Ed Sprinkle spent 12 seasons punishing opponents and helping the team to an NFL Championship in 1946. He is considered one of the best defensive ends in team history.

Sprinkle's 1951 Bowman card

However, the moniker

Once called “The Meanest Man in Football,” Chicago Bears great Ed Sprinkle spent 12 seasons punishing opponents and helping the team to an NFL Championship in 1946. He is considered one of the best defensive ends in team history.

Sprinkle’s 1951 Bowman card

However, the moniker of “The Meanest Man in Football” still haunts him. It was coined by Bill Fay in a November 25, 1950 article in Collier’s Weekly. According to an article written by Bob Carroll, my predecessor at the Professional Football Researchers Association, Sprinkle was quoted as saying, “I think that the article was a bum rap. I was about as aggressive as any football player that walked on the field. If I had an opportunity to hit someone I hit them. I had a reputation with my teammates and [George] Halas as being the roughest player the Bears ever had. That doesn’t make me mean or dirty.” I would have been remiss if I did not ask Sprinkle about that article. Sprinkle recalled, “[Fay] interviewed me for the article, but he didn’t say anything about what he was going to write about. I was a little surprised. I came in full barrel when I played, but I didn’t know that was what he was writing about.” Sprinkle commented on the aftermath of the article, “What can you say? What is done is done.”

Sprinkle attended Hardin-Simmons College, where he earned All-Border Conference honors. He also earned All-Eastern honors while at the Naval Academy. He only attended Hardin-Simmons for three years, before the athletic program was cancelled due to the war. At that point, he went to the Naval Academy.

When asked whether he wanted to make the military his career, Sprinkle replied, “I did. I would have if they did not cancel [the program] because of the war. I wanted to be a pilot in the Naval Air Corps, but the war ended before I got into active duty. I was at a Naval Air Station in New Orleans.”

While in college and in the Navy, Sprinkle had a desire to play professional football. According to Sprinkle, “I was interested in professional football because of Bulldog Turner. He went to Hardin-Simmons, where I went. I met Bulldog and I was going to try to make it with Bulldog’s help.” In 1944, he tried out for the Bears and made the squad.

The Bears started him at guard, but switched him to end after two years. “I wasn’t big enough to play guard. I weighed 210 pounds.”

Sprinkle recalled playing for George Halas; “Everybody was worried about George Halas. You didn’t make mistakes with him out there.” He continued, “But, he wasn’t there every day. We had two other co-coaches: Luke Johnsos and Hunk Anderson. They handled the coaching.”

Sprinkle’s ability earned him four Pro Bowl bids in the last six years of his career. The Pro Bowl did not start until 1950, or he probably would have been nominated to more. However, earning four nods in the six-year existence of the Pro Bowl was quite an accomplishment. Historical Note: All-Star games were played earlier than 1950 between a team of all-stars and the league champion, but the Pro Bowl concept did not come into being until June of 1950.

Sacks did not become an official statistic until 1981, but Sprinkle remembered his ability to hit the quarterback for a loss. “I had five sacks on one game.” It is unknown how many sacks he racked up during his career.

He received the nickname ‘The Claw’ from his infamous clothesline tackling technique. Sprinkle commented, “They were going to put me at left end. I said, ‘I want to be a right end because I could reach over with my left arm.’ I am left handed.” As unsuspecting runners came through the line, they were met with the fierce arm of Sprinkle.

During the off-season, Sprinkle worked as an engineer at Inland Steel. That continued after his retirement. Then, he opened his own tile and carpet shop and was owner of a bowling alley.

Since his retirement, Sprinkle has been honored with several awards, including induction into the Chicago Bears Ring of Honor and the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2007, Sprinkle was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. Formed in 2003, the Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

When asked about his chances to be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame, Sprinkle did not mince words. “My personal opinion is that politics played into getting players into the Hall of Fame that didn’t deserve it. I feel like I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. It probably won’t happen.”

Currently, Sprinkle lives in Illinois with his daughter and her husband.

Teams: • Chicago Bears (1944-55)

Awards: • Selected to four Pro Bowls • Inducted into the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame (1984) • Inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame • Inducted into the Hardin-Simmons University Hall of Fame (1990) • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2007) • Inducted into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame (2007) • Named to the 75th Anniversary All-Sun Bowl Team (2008) • Chicago Bears Ring of Honor (2009) • Named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team of the 1940s

After this weekend's action, it's hard to imagine what the next biggest game in recent memory was. "The Big Shootout", a documentary by filmmaker Mike Looney, will take many back to what might be the first big game of their lives.

After this weekend’s action, it’s hard to imagine what the next biggest game in recent memory was. “The Big Shootout”, a documentary by filmmaker Mike Looney, will take many back to what might be the first big game of their lives.

Coaches Broyles (left) and Royal (right) shake hands

At the start of the 1969 season, ABC publicist Beano Cook was approached and asked to handpick one game from that season’s schedule and move it to December 6th for a made-for-tv spectacle to celebrate the 100th anniversary of college football. The only requirement was that the two teams, before a single game was played, should be #1 and #2 in the nation by the day of the game. In a time before the BCS computer, Cook scrutinized the entire college schedule game by game before finally recommending Texas vs. Arkansas for the date.

The cards that fall in place to result in the game coming to fruition as planned are nothing short of a miracle. Outside the safety of the collegiate bubble, the Vietnam war plays out, claiming friends and family of players on both sides. On campus, African-American students rally to protest Arkansas’ tradition of playing “Dixie” after touchdowns. President Richard Nixon plans to attend the game, another first at the time, apart from Army-Navy matchups.

The film weaves excellent footage from the era, and most importantly the game, with present-day interviews from almost every living member of both sides, including Arkansas coach Frank Broyles, who, until this film, hadn’t ever spoken about the game in public. That fact alone makes this worth seeing. Broyles, this tremendously charismatic figure, even in his mid-80’s, is incredible to listen to. He clearly has some unresolved demons that he wants to exorcise, and the film does the best possible job in letting him do that. As filmmaker Mike Looney told me, “We just turned on the camera, and let him go.”

Broyles’ therapeutic release aside, there’s plenty more to love about the film. Each and every player brings with them a unique perspective on every aspect of the game, the war, and even President Nixon. They are characters, through and through. Though it’s clear that many aspects of the movie could be standalone movies by themselves, just enough time is spent on each part where you never feel shortchanged.

I won’t spoil all of the twists and turns along the journey. Even being familiar with the game and the outcome, I was continually surprised. I think you will be, too.

Our “Throwbacks” podcast, released next week, will highlight the game and include interviews with filmmaker Mike Looney and Texas running back, Bobby Mitchell. The film will be released December 6th, but you can pre-order the movie for yourself using the player below.

On December 6th, 1969, in the wintry landscape of Fayetteville, Arkansas, The Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks met in what was heralded then and in the decades since as the game of the century. The game coined “The Big Shootout”, by Texas coach Darrell Royal, was the brainstorm of television, foreshadowing televised sports’ heavy hand in major sporting events in years to come.

Long-time quarterback of the New England Patriots, Steve Grogan played in 149 games over his 16-year career. But, his career was marred by injuries. However, he was one of the toughest players to play quarterback. Hall of Fame guard John Hannah referred to Grogan as the toughest player he ever played with in his career.

Long-time quarterback of the New England Patriots, Steve Grogan played in 149 games over his 16-year career. But, his career was marred by injuries. However, he was one of the toughest players to play quarterback. Hall of Fame guard John Hannah referred to Grogan as the toughest player he ever played with in his career. Referring to the impact that quarterback toughness has on a team, Grogan said, “In my opinion, it means a lot to the guys up there that are protecting you and opening up the holes for the running backs. The offensive line, in particular, respect quarterbacks that show some toughness and don’t act like they are worried about getting hurt all of the time and can play hurt. Most of those guys are playing hurt too, so I think that they respect a quarterback that will do those kinds of things.”

Grogan grew up in Ottawa, Kansas. According to Grogan, “It was enjoyable. A small town. A lot of great people. I grew up about two blocks from a small college: Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas, where my mom and dad went to school. At a young age, I was attending football games, basketball games, and track meets. I could walk up there myself and sneak into the gym and play basketball myself. It was a great location.”

Grogan continued, “In junior high and high school, there was a group of us that were all in the same class that really enjoyed athletics and some of us had some talent. By the time we were seniors, we finished second in the state in football, and won the basketball and track championships. So, it was a good group of guys.”

While at Kansas State, Grogan started at quarterback his junior and senior years. Referring to his chances at becoming a professional quarterback, Grogan said, “I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was bothered by a neck injury my senior year. I was told that I could be drafted anywhere from the first round to not drafted at all due to the injury. I did not have any expectations of what would take place.” Grogan was drafted in the fifth round by the New England Patriots.

As a rookie, Grogan started seven games for the Patriots. While the season was unsuccessful (3-11 overall record), his sophomore year in the pros was highlighted by an 11-3 record with Grogan as the starter.

Over the following three seasons, he started every game for New England and amassed a record of 30-17 with a playoff appearance. In 1976, he set an NFL record by rushing for 12 touchdowns. That was the most by a quarterback since Johnny Lujack set the record in 1950 and was tied by Tobin Rote in 1956. The record stood for 35 years until Cam Newton broke it in 2011 with 14 rushing touchdowns.

In 1985, the Patriots went to the Super Bowl. Tony Eason started the year, but lack of production led to him being benched in favor of Grogan. After winning six straight games, Grogan broke his leg and was out for the rest of the regular season. But, Eason was able to lead the team to the playoffs and a date with the vaunted Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl.

Grogan was not the starter for the game, but after Tony Eason was ineffective in the first quarter-and-a-half, coach Raymond Berry benched his quarterback and replaced him with Grogan. Eason went 0-6 passing, with three sacks for a loss of 28 yards and a fumble. Grogan went 17 for 30 for 177 yards and a touchdown in his effort, but the Bears were too much and easily won the game 46-10. According to Grogan, “I had been inactive for the first two playoff games against the Jets and the Raiders. I was given clearance to dress for the Miami game. I was ready to go for the Super Bowl, but Eason had been the starting quarterback for the three playoff wins and Raymond Berry had decided to go with him, which I understood. He struggled early in the Super Bowl and Raymond asked me to go in to see what I could do. I had visions of pulling us out of the fire, but we were playing against a defense that was maybe one of the best ever in the NFL. It didn’t happen.”

The remainder of his career was marred by injury. He would not start an entire season before he finished with the Patriots after the 1990 campaign. “They had a coaching change here after the 1990 season. The new staff came in and asked me to retire. They were going to go in another direction. I didn’t feel like I was ready to retire. I thought that I could play another couple of years for somebody. So I had them release me. I talked to a team or two, but nothing ever materialized. So, that was the end of it.”

After retiring from playing pro football, Grogan wanted to get into coaching. Grogan recalled, “I had always planned on coaching when I got done. My dad and brother were coaches, and I had an uncle that was a coach. It was just a natural transition for me. But, I kept running into dead ends and closed doors and people telling me that I needed to go back to the high school level to get some experience. I was almost 38 or 39 years old when they were telling me that, and with three kids, I just didn’t feel like I had the time to go back down and start at the bottom rung and work my way up.”

Currently, Grogan owns Grogan Marciano Sporting Goods in Mansfield, Massachusetts. “I was approached by a gentleman who owned, what was then, Marciano Sporting Goods. It was originally started by Peter Marciano, who was Rocky Marciano’s brother, the boxer. Peter had had it for over 20 years and sold it to this other gentleman. He was having some financial trouble and was looking for someone to take over the business. It was five miles from the house and I knew that I would be around things that I had been around all of my life and enjoyed being around. The price was pretty good, so I decided to take a chance. I knew that my three boys could probably be involved in the business. I thought I would try it for a while and see how it went. That was 19 years ago. I guess that we are doing something right.”

In addition to running his business, Grogan remains active in the community. According to Grogan, “I still do some public speaking and some autograph sessions. I will also do some meet-and-greets for companies that are looking for someone to entertain them for an evening or an afternoon.” Grogan continued, “Other than that, it is run the business and make sure things are going well here.”

In a September 25, 2003 article, Boston Globe writer Nick Cafardo penned the Grogan Toughness Meter (GTM). The GTM was a way to measure the toughness of an athlete, using Grogan as the benchmark. From that article, Cafardo mentioned, “To explain GTM a little better, here’s a partial list of Grogan’s ailments: five knee surgeries; screws in his leg after the tip of his fibula snapped; a cracked fibula that snapped when he tried to practice; two ruptured disks in his neck, which he played with for 1 1/2 seasons; a broken left hand (he simply handed off with his right hand); two separated shoulders on each side; the reattachment of a tendon to his throwing elbow; and three concussions.”

Grogan commented on the GTM, “It was interesting. Everybody talks about how tough I was when I was playing. I do appreciate that, but I hope that I was a pretty good player too, for the 16 years I played in the league. I wish they would talk about that a little more. But, it feels good to be respected for what I did.”

Not only known for his toughness, Grogan was also known to be a good running quarterback until injuries slowed him down. According to Grogan, “We ran the option at Kansas State. We were not very good. I joke with people here that [my running ability] was a survival instinct that I developed at Kansas State.” He continued, “I was playing for coach Chuck Fairbanks, who had come from Oklahoma where they ran the wishbone and he wasn’t afraid to let me run. He knew that it was a talent that I had. Early in my career, I was able to use that running ability to have some success and to buy me time to learn the passing game, so that when I started to have knee problems, I could transform myself into a guy that could stay in the pocket and not run a whole lot.”

Ken Crippen is the former executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association. He has researched and written about pro football history for over two decades. He won the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick Connor Writing Award for Feature Writing and was named the Ralph Hay Award winner by the Professional Football Researchers Association for lifetime achievement on pro football history.

The year is 1906. Ohio pro teams Canton and Massillon have assembled dream teams consisting of the best players in the country. NFP, along with the Professional Football Researchers Association, is proud to bring you the story of the first, and maybe biggest, pro football scandal, ever. Our new podcast, Throwbacks, will tell some of the most compelling stories of football’s past in an engaging way.

A five-time Pro Bowl receiver, Harold Jackson retired with over 10,000 receiving yards in his 16-year playing career. But, he never thought pro football was going to be a part of his professional life until college. “When I left high school, I did not weigh more than 149 pounds,” recalled Jackson. “I knew that football

A five-time Pro Bowl receiver, Harold Jackson retired with over 10,000 receiving yards in his 16-year playing career. But, he never thought pro football was going to be a part of his professional life until college. “When I left high school, I did not weigh more than 149 pounds,” recalled Jackson. “I knew that football was a big man’s game.” However, Jackson proved that at 5’10”, he could play. “I got a scholarship to Jackson State. I started playing and started getting letters from the pros. I thought that maybe I do have something. In my junior year, I really started to get the itch [to play pro football].”

Jackson was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1968.

His first year with the Rams was uneventful. He saw action in only two games. Jackson commented, “George Allen thought that rookies make too many mental mistakes. That is why George always believed in veteran ballplayers.” He continued, “We were about to get into the playoffs and we were playing the Chicago Bears. We were behind in the game. George Allen put me in for the last few minutes of the game. I had pretty good speed and he felt that Roman Gabriel could throw the deep ball and get it to me. We ran that play twice and each time, the ball was thrown short. So, I tried to come back for the ball and the defensive back ran right over me. [The referees] didn’t call anything.” They lost the game 17-16.

After the season, Jackson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson recalled, “After that season was over, I was in the National Guard. While I was there, I got a call from the Rams saying that they had traded me to Philadelphia. I didn’t know how to take it at the time. It worked out really good for me because that is where I really got my start. I went there and made all-pro and went to the Pro Bowl.”

Jackson’s career spanned 16 years and he gained over 10,000 yards

While with the Eagles, Jackson flourished. Twice, he led the league in receiving yards and yards-per-game. But, his time in Philadelphia was short-lived. After the 1972 season, he was traded back to the Los Angels Rams. Jackson did not want to leave. He recalled, “I enjoyed my time with Philadelphia. When I left Philadelphia, I was in the National Guard again. We were doing our summer camp in Virginia. [Philadelphia] told me that I was traded back to Los Angeles. I just started crying. I didn’t want to leave Philadelphia, because I thought that Philadelphia was good to me. I owe a lot to Philly.”

That was Jackson’s second trade in five seasons. “When you get traded, you feel as though people do not care for you.”

Back in Los Angeles, George Allen was gone and his replacement Tommy Prothro was also gone. Star quarterback Roman Gabriel was now in Philadelphia. According to Jackson, “[The Rams] had a new coach in Chuck Knox and they brought in John Hadl as the new quarterback.” The Rams instantly jumped from a 6-7-1 record in 1972 to 12-2 with a playoff berth in Jackson’s first year back with the team. He also made the Pro Bowl, led the league in receiving touchdowns, and was named first-team all-conference and all-pro by several news organizations.

In 1978, Jackson went to the New England Patriots for four years, and finished his playing career with single-season stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks.

However, Jackson was not done with pro football. After he retired from playing, he went into coaching. “When I retired [from playing football], coach [Raymond] Berry got the [head coaching] job in New England. I called to congratulate him. He said, ‘Give me your phone number. I would like to talk to you.’ He called me after the season was over to see if I would coach his wide receivers. The last thing on my mind was coaching. After you spend 16 years in the National Football League, you see the coaches working 24/7 and it looked like they never went home. Being a player, I thought that this is something that I did not want to do. He said to me, ‘You do not have to make up your mind right now. Just think about it for a couple of weeks and get back to me and let me know what you want to do.’ After I hung up, he called right back and said, ‘While you think about it, here is what we would be able to pay you.’ I said, ‘OK, coach. When I get back to Los Angeles, I will give you a call.’ When he hung up, about 15 minutes later he called back and said, ‘Have you thought about it?’ When I got back to L.A., I had a contract there waiting for me. I called Chuck Knox and talked to him about it. He said, ‘Just give it a year. If you do not like it, get out of it.’ So, I called coach Berry back and I told him what I was going to do. That year [1985], we went to the Super Bowl. I thought, ‘This is not too bad!’”

In 1987, the NFL players went on strike and replacements were signed. Jackson was a player-coach for two games. ”I suited up and never got on the field. Just a few drills in practice.”

After the 1989 season, Patriots head coach Raymond Berry was let go, which meant that Jackson was also out. He went on to become an assistant coach for North Carolina Central University for one season. After coaching a season in the Arena football league and two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jackson received his first head coaching assignment. However, it was not the way he wanted it to happen. Jackson recalled, “When I went to Virginia Union [College], I went there to help out one of the coaches I had in college. I just went there for that particular year, just for the football season. The [athletic director] that was there wanted to fire the head coach and hire me. That head coach was just like a father to me and I went there to help out his receivers that particular year. I helped him at North Carolina Central [University] the same way when he was there. When they let him go [from Virginia Union], they made me the interim head coach. That really bothered me. When the season was over, the [athletic director] came to me and said, ‘Coach, let’s try to get [the contract] done on Monday.’ What I did was put the [salary request] real high so that they would not match it. When they said that they couldn’t do it, I packed my car and got on the highway.”

Jackson spent two years as the head coach at Benedict College in South Carolina. Then, he became the receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints under head coach Mike Ditka. After three seasons, Ditka was let go, meaning Jackson was again out of work. “When I left the Saints, I had a year on my contract,” recalled Jackson. “I volunteered at some high schools. I relaxed and recharged myself to get ready to go again.”

In 2001, Jackson became the receivers coach under Guy Morriss at the University of Kentucky. He followed Morriss to Baylor University in 2003 and was the receivers coach for four seasons. During his time off, he again volunteered his services to local schools. “I had a year on my contract. I relaxed a little bit. I helped out at high schools a little bit.”

In 2011, Jackson was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. Formed in 2003, the Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jackson commented, “It makes you feel good that people recognize that you did something. I always say that God gives you a talent and you use that talent to the best of your ability. That is what I thought I did and that is what I was trying to do.”

Also in 2011, Jackson got back into coaching pro receivers. “I had been working with the UFL [United Football League]. I was with Jerry Glanville in Connecticut. They shut that team down. The only thing that we did with that team was hold three trial camps. We were getting ready to go to training camp. [The UFL] shut the team down and sent everybody back home. The next year, Turk Schonert got the job in Sacramento. He called me and I went up there and was the receivers coach. After the season was over, I got involved with Football University. They do camps for kids. That starts the end of March and goes through the end of July. That is what I am doing now.”

Jackson is also involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “I am going around speaking to the young men in groups and telling them about my relationship with God. I was brought up in a family that was very religious. My dad was a deacon. I had four sisters and one brother. We all had to go to Sunday school. When all of the other kids were outside playing in the streets on Sunday afternoon, we all had to go to BTU, Baptist Training Union. I got active in the church. It is something I really enjoy doing.”

Known for his incredible speed, Smith became a mainstay on the Cleveland line for seven years and was considered one of the best offensive linemen of his era.

Smith attended Baylor University, where he earned two All-America nods. “My mother always wanted me to finish high school. No one in my family on

Known for his incredible speed, Smith became a mainstay on the Cleveland line for seven years and was considered one of the best offensive linemen of his era.

Smith attended Baylor University, where he earned two All-America nods. “My mother always wanted me to finish high school. No one in my family on either side had gone past the sixth grade. Well, my brother and I and my sister all graduated from high school and we went on to college and got our degree. If it hadn’t been for football, I would never have gone to college without a scholarship.”

In 1954, during his sophomore season at Baylor, Smith was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round.

After college, Smith served in the Army. “I was in [the Army] for 23 months, from January 1955 through December 1956,” recalled Smith. He joined the Browns midway through the 1956 season. “I took a 30-day leave during training camp to see if I could make the Browns. I did, but I sprained my ankle during an exhibition game in California. They said, ‘Why don’t you go back to the Army until you get that well. Then we will bring you on up.’ There were six or seven games left when they said, ‘Well, we will bring you back now.’ I took another leave to finish out the 1956 season. I think it was the Philadelphia game in Philadelphia that I took a flight back to Fayetteville, North Carolina when I mustered out of the Army. Then I went back to Cleveland and finished out the season.”

In his rookie year with the Browns, Smith played defensive end. “I had gone to Cleveland to take Lenny [Ford’s] place,” recalled Smith. “I weighed 218 pounds. Of course, Lenny weighed about 265 and was 6’4” or 6’5”. In 1955, I played in the College All-Star Game and I played offensive tackle. I was lined up in front of Don Colo and Lenny Ford. [The Cleveland Browns] thought they saw something there as an offensive lineman instead of a defensive end. When I went to camp in 1956, I was a defensive end, but they made me learn all of the offensive guard plays.” After one year, head coach Paul Brown switched him to offensive guard and his career took off.

Smith recalled his experiences playing for legendary coach Paul Brown. “At first, not knowing who he was, it was interesting,” said Smith. “He was very demanding. He demanded perfection. He was probably the most organized person I have ever known. He could have run any company in the world, particularly in America, the way he organized things.” Smith continued, “You had a playbook. If you lost that playbook, it was [a] $500 [fine]. When you weren’t making any money, $500 is a whole lot of money.”

Smith had the opportunity to block for arguably the greatest running back of all time: Jim Brown. Smith’s speed and Brown’s ability made Cleveland’s end sweep a powerful weapon. “I was there in ’56 and Jim came in ’57,” recalled Smith. “As a pulling guard, you went out to block for him. We would get together to talk about what we were going to do in different situations.” That relationship built one of the best running games in history.

After the 1961 season, Smith announced his retirement from the game in order to focus on his real estate business. According to Smith, “Ray Renfro and Mike McCormack got me to come back and play in 1962.”

He played one more season for the Browns. After the 1962 campaign, Smith again announced his retirement. That was around the same time as the firing of legendary coach Paul Brown by majority owner Art Modell. According to Smith, “We left at the same time.” Smith continued, “Our oldest son was going to start school. My wife didn’t want to put him in school up there [in Cleveland] for half a year and then bring him down here [to Dallas] for the second half of the year. I was in the real estate business in the off-season and I was doing decent. I just wanted to stay in the Dallas area, so that is what I did.”

“Art [Modell] tried to get me to talk to the Cowboys,” recalled Smith. “I said, ‘I do not want to talk to them.’ I know [head coach] Tom [Landry] and other players who play for him. I have no qualms about playing for him. I just did not want to play anymore. I was well. I didn’t have any major disasters, like knee problems. I had a few concussions and a shoulder problem, but nothing to keep me from playing. Then Art comes along and he says, ‘You are a good player and we would like to get something for you. We would like for you to talk to the Cowboys so that we can make a trade.’ I said, ‘I do not want to talk to them. I would rather leave it just like it is.’ After a couple of hours of listening, I said, “OK, I will talk to them, but I am here to tell you that I am not going to play for them.’ Before I got back to my office, [the Cowboys] had called and we had lunch. I said, ‘No. No. No.’ We had lunch the next day and I said, ‘No. No. No.’ Finally, they put some pressure on and they thought I had to play. So, I played.” Smith was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for tackle Monte Clark.

Commenting on the differences playing for Paul Brown versus Tom Landry, Smith said, “It was different. [Landry and I] were friends in the off-season. Tom is a good man. He was good because he is hard-headed. Paul Brown was hard-headed. Most great leaders are hard-headed. It is not a negative saying that. They are set on what they want to do and they are going to do it. Tom looked at an offense from a defensive standpoint. Paul Brown looked at an offense from an offensive standpoint. Paul says, ‘Every play that you run goes for a touchdown.’ Tom’s theory was that you go for two yards or five yards or ten yards. Then you throw the bomb for a touchdown. Paul Brown thought that if you had a short pass and everyone did what they were supposed to do, it’s a touchdown. Everything goes for a touchdown.” Smith continued, “One thing Tom did was that he changed blocking assignments during the week. Once, twice, maybe three times. You get in the heat of a game and they call the play that you had been going over. Now, was it the one we did on Tuesday, or Thursday, or was it this morning? He has changed it and I forgot what blocking scheme we were going to use. But, it all worked out.”

After two injury-riddled seasons with the Cowboys, Smith retired for good after the 1964 season. Smith commented, “My first year [with the Cowboys], I was on a kickoff and got rolled up on my knee. I didn’t even see the play. I tore my knee up in the middle of the season and again the second year. I had two knee operations with the Cowboys. I had two broken hands with the Cowboys and I had two concussions with the Cowboys.”

Smith focused his time on his real estate business. Smith explained, “Well, it was on the commercial end. Some leasing and some warehouse development. I was basically a broker. I ended up meeting Ed Gaylord here in Dallas. He owned Opryland, Oklahoma Publishing, and several television stations. I handled their land in the Dallas area for about 28 years. It was a good relationship. It helped me put three kids through college.”

In 2005, Smith was inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends.

In 2008, Smith was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. Formed in 2003, the Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I thought that was great. Somebody is still looking after the old guys!”

“It is kind of like a lot of things that have happened since I retired, especially since the calendar has gone to 2000. You sit back and think that you have been forgotten. One of the things, when I left Cleveland, the managers said, ‘We are going to clean up your uniform and send it to Canton, because you will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a few years and we want to make sure that they have got it.’ Well, I went over there one day and I was looking around and I asked if they had Ray Renfro’s uniform there. They said, ‘Yup.’ I said that I would like to see it. So, we went down into the vaults. They bring it out and I take pictures holding it. As we left, I said, ‘By the way, is my uniform here?’ They said, ‘Oh, no. You are not here.’ When I got home, I had a message from the Cleveland people. They said, ‘The guy is extremely embarrassed, because your uniform is down there.’ I said, ‘Well, tell them to send it on to me. If they are not going to let me in the Hall of Fame, I would like to have it here and give it to my kids.’ They said, ‘No. No. We can not do that.’ I said, ‘What are you going to do, just hide it?’ So, it is still there. It is probably like Ray Renfro and a lot of other guys who have their stuff there, but will never get in. Some of them need to be [inducted]. Maybe I was never that good.”

When asked about his Hall of Fame chances, Smith commented, “I am not mad. I don’t think that I have ever been selected to go through the process. I am 81 years old and I have lived without it.”

Currently, Smith is semi-retired. “I like to call it tiddling,” joked Smith. “I still do a little bit of [real estate]. A little bit in the oil business. I bought a little land. I was born and raised about 50 miles south of Houston in West Columbia. I have a little land down there. Nothing big. Just a few little acres. I just watch my retirement portfolio. I try to play a little golf.” He also enjoys spending time with his family. “We have three kids and four grandkids. Hopefully, we will add some more on.”

Smith is also feeling the impact of his playing days. “In the last three years or so, both of my shoulders have started hurting. Finally, it got so bad that I had the ball in my left shoulder removed and another put in.” He joked, “I tell everyone that they cut your arm off and they take a drill and drill down your arm bone. Then they put this titanium shaft with a ball on it and take a sledgehammer and drive it in there and then tie it all back together.” He continued, “I am still having a little problem with it, but I am having more problems with the other one. Part of it is football and part of it is just aging. You just kind of laugh and bear it, and keep going and enjoy life and your kids and grandkids. And try to make a hole-in-one every once-in-a-while.”

For the last 30 years or more, Smith has been on the Board of Directors for the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. “It was set up with three representatives from each of the schools in the Southwest Conference. One of the members from Baylor was going out and he didn’t want to come back in. He said that they should get in touch with me. That was in the 70s sometime. I have been involved with it ever since. It has been a great experience.”

“The good Lord said, ‘Boy, we are going to make a football player out of you until we figure out what to do with you.’ I guess he made a pretty good football player. I don’t know.”

Smith currently lives in Texas.

Teams: • Cleveland Browns (1956-62) • Dallas Cowboys (1963-64)

Awards: • Named to the Pro Bowl five times • Inducted into the Baylor University Athletics Hall of Fame (1968) • Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1987) • Inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends (2005) • Inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (2008) • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2008)

When people talk about the greatest linebackers not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Maxie Baughan’s name is high on the list. Named to nine Pro Bowls in his twelve-year career, Baughan was a constant force on the defense of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams. He finished his playing career with

When people talk about the greatest linebackers not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Maxie Baughan’s name is high on the list. Named to nine Pro Bowls in his twelve-year career, Baughan was a constant force on the defense of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1974.

He started playing football when he was about six years old. According to Baughan, “Football was a way of life back then.” He continued, “I lived in a steel town in Alabama. You either played football or you were in the band. I couldn’t play an instrument, so I played football. We all played football. You lived in a neighborhood where all of the steel workers were on strike. You hadn’t got anything, but you always had football.”

Baughan attended Georgia Tech. “I wanted to go to work and wear a white shirt. I figured if I took Industrial Management and Engineering, that I would be able to go to work.” He continued, “My daddy came home from work. He climbed telephone poles at U.S. Steel. About two or three times a year, he would come home with marks all over his arms and his legs where he had to grab the pole as he fell and he came down. I didn’t want to do that. That is the reason why I went to [Georgia] Tech. It was a great football program. I am glad I [went there] and I would do it again.”

Even though academics were high on Baughan’s agenda, he still played football and played well. Baughan set a record with 124 tackles his senior year at Georgia Tech. That season, he was named All-American and was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. It was at that point that pro football showed interest in him. “I never thought about playing professional football until my senior year when I started to receive some flyers from various pro teams. Being consensus All-American didn’t hurt, either. When all of that stuff started happening, I started thinking about it.” He added, “I thought I might as well try it. I thought I would probably play two or three years, but as the years went on, I never thought about quitting.”

Baughan’s professional career started about the best way possible for any player. “I was lucky. My rookie year, I started every game. I went to the Pro Bowl. We won the World Championship. We beat Green Bay. I got a ring as a rookie. It was a lot of fun.” He continued, “I thought, ‘Well, hey, we will do this every year.’ I did go to nine Pro Bowls, but I never went back to that World Championship Game again. I was in the playoffs a lot, but I never won another World Championship. Never got another ring. A lot of players go their entire career and never get one. At least I have one.”

However, the Eagles started to dismantle the team over the next several years. Baughan knew he was on his way out. “I think that it was time for me to move on. There were a few of us that had to move on. We didn’t agree with Coach Kuharich. He asked me, ‘Do you want to get traded?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir. I would like to go to New York. That is where the money is, or I would like to go to Atlanta. That is where I live.’ So, he traded me to Los Angeles. But, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Did it bother him that he was traded to a team that was not on his list? “It bothered me right off the bat, because I didn’t know George Allen.”

Prior to Allen’s head coaching stint with the Rams, Allen was the head coach of both Morningside College and Whittier College. He was then an assistant coach with the Rams for one year before moving on to be an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears.

According to Baughan, “I knew that [Allen] had come from the Chicago Bears. A good friend of mine played for him with the Bears, Larry Morris. Larry was a linebacker at Georgia Tech before I got there. I lived about six or eight houses from him in Atlanta. I talked to him, and he said, ‘This is the luckiest day of your life.’ I said, ‘Oh, I hope you are right.’ He said, ‘I am right. You just wait.’”

Baughan continued, “When I got there, I could see what Larry was talking about. All of a sudden, I was calling the defenses and we were winning. We were one of the best defensive teams in football.” He added, “We had some pretty good players. Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Roosevelt Greer in front of us on the defensive line. Eddie Meador. Jack Pardee. We brought in Bill George on how to learn the system. Bill George was a linebacker from the Bears.”

“George Allen was a great football mind. I called the defenses. Back then, you didn’t have signaling in like today. I went to his office every morning, early. He and I would look at film. We would go over the practice schedule and prepare with him. Then, all of a sudden, I am thinking like he is. That is what he wanted to happen. In practice, we wound up doing what we talked about earlier that day. I had called the defenses for the Eagles. Now, I am calling them for the Rams.”

He played five seasons for the Rams, from 1966 through 1970. However, after an injury-plagued 1970 season, Baughan retired as a player and went into coaching. He credits Allen as his inspiration to become a football coach. “Yeah. That’s the only reason. I never thought about coaching before. I was selling bolts and nuts and industrial lubricants. As a football player, you had to work in the off-season to make things meet.”

Baughan started his coaching career at Georgia Tech. “Bill Fulcher got the [head coaching] job and he offered me the defensive coordinator job. I was there in 1972 and 1973. Then Fulcher quit. He decided that he didn’t want to coach anymore or something. I don’t know. Then, Pepper Rodgers came in. I would have stayed there with him. I walked into his office and he said, ‘Maxie, this place is not big enough for the both of us.’ So, that was the end of my coaching career at Georgia Tech.”

However, that was not the end for Baughan’s coaching aspirations. After leaving Georgia Tech, he joined the pro ranks as an assistant coach. “When [the Georgia Tech firing] happened, George Allen called. He said, ‘Hey Maxie, come on up here and play.’ I said, ‘George, I can’t even walk, let alone run.’ He said, ‘You can coach the linebackers, and if Chris [Hanburger] gets hurt, you can fill in for him calling the defenses.’ He wanted a backup for his signal-caller. He always had somebody. An old guy that knew what was happening. So, I went up there and played a year. I was a player-coach. I might have been one of the last of those. I don’t know.” Baughan played in two games for the Redskins before retiring for good from playing football.

“After that year, Ted Marchibroda went to Baltimore as a head coach, and Ted had been the offensive coordinator in L.A. when I was out there, and the offensive coordinator of the Redskins when I was there. [Marchibroda] said, ‘Hey Maxie, come to Baltimore and be the defensive coordinator.’ I said, ‘OK.’”

While Baughan was with the Colts, the team won three straight division titles. “We had a good run in Baltimore.” He continued, “We had some good players. Bert Jones was our quarterback. Physically, Bert was probably one of the best quarterbacks I was ever associated with, and I was associated with some pretty good ones. Norm Van Brocklin. Sonny Jurgensen. Pretty good quarterbacks.”

After spending five seasons with the Colts, Baughan coached the linebackers for the Detroit Lions for thee years. Then, he received his first and only head coaching job – Cornell University. According to Baughan, “I was coaching in Detroit. Tom Matte, who was a running back with the Colts, was a friend of mine. He recommended me to Cornell. He and Roger Weiss came out to Detroit to see me.”

Baughan added, “It was always a challenge. I always thought of coaching at the academy. Navy. Army. Air Force. Coast Guard. Some of those, because of the discipline. I thought that would be fun. Then, I turned it over to the Ivy [League] for the same reason. I didn’t even interview with Cornell. My wife did. My wife came to Ithaca because we were playing in the playoffs against the Redskins. I couldn’t come. By the time she got through, we had the job. She had a good interview!”

In 1988, he led Cornell to a first place tie with the University of Pennsylvania for the Ivy League crown. He left after the 1988 season and went back to the NFL. “I wanted to stay on defense and the linebackers. To me, coaching linebackers in the NFL was a heck of a job. I enjoyed that.”

From Cornell, Baughan coached linebackers with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens.

“In football, you are hired to get fired. As soon as the head coach goes, you go.” Ravens’ head coach Ted Marchibroda was fired after going 6-10 in the 1998 season. Baughan was out of a job. According to Baughan, “We lived here in Baltimore for the second time. Diane didn’t want to move. So we stayed right here. That is when we retired.”

Retirement has gone well for Baughan. “I am sitting on my screened-in porch looking over a golf course. I played golf and I have a garden out here and I spend a lot of time with the grandchildren. We have three sons and eight grandchildren.” Baughan added, “I do some youth camps for kids from eight to around 15 or 16 years old. I do about three or four of those a year.”

Throughout his career, Baughan played with Hall of Fame linebackers: Chuck Bednarik, Dave Robinson and Chris Hanburger. “When you get with people like Chris and Jack Pardee and Dave Robinson, those guys are players. You don’t have to motivate them. They are already motivated. Just like Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. You just get them mentally ready. That is what George Allen did.”

He also coached perennial Pro Bowl linebackers Derrick Brooks and Ray Lewis. “Derrick was a great young man. Smart. He wanted to play football more than anything in the world.” He continued, “The same thing with Ray Lewis. He wanted to play. A quick story about Ray Lewis. We were going to have two [first round] draft choices [in the 1996 NFL Draft] with the Ravens. I didn’t think that we would use the first choice to get [Lewis], but I really wanted to get him. I was hoping that we could use the second draft choice. We drafted Jonathan Ogden number one, which was great. He was a great player and turned out to be one of the best offensive tackles to play the game. Then, we were coming up on our second pick and they were thinking of drafting a wide receiver or running back. I stood up and said, ‘Hey. Listen. We have got to draft Ray Lewis. He is the best linebacker in the draft. He could play for a long time.’ [Some of the scouts] said he was too little. Anyway, I convinced them, or I think that I convinced them, that Ray Lewis is the man for that time in the draft. Eventually, they went along with it and they drafted him. I think that he was one of the better linebackers to ever play.”

In 2005, Baughan was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Awards: • Named to the Pro Bowl nine times • Inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame (1965) • Inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1980) • Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1983) • Inducted into the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame • Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1988) • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2005) • Inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2012)

Just mention the nickname “The Mad Bomber,” and football fans remember one of the best quarterbacks to play in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Daryle Lamonica received that nickname from broadcaster Howard Cosell. Lamonica recalled, “It was on a Monday night game. I don’t know where he came up with that one. I heard

Just mention the nickname “The Mad Bomber,” and football fans remember one of the best quarterbacks to play in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Daryle Lamonica received that nickname from broadcaster Howard Cosell. Lamonica recalled, “It was on a Monday night game. I don’t know where he came up with that one. I heard it and I said, ‘What a dumb name.’ But the very next game, I distinctly remember it. It was a home game. I got under center and I looked out at the left corner. We made eye contact and he backed up two steps. I thought, ‘Ooh. I like that. Maybe that is not such a bad nickname.’ It stuck and that is what I ended up with.”

Lamonica grew up in rural California. “I was born on a farm. Peaches and grapes,” recalled Lamonica. “I spent a lot of time hunting and fishing in the back yard. That is the way I was raised.”

However, the sports bug hit. “My first big sports thrill was that I played in the first ever Little League World Series in Hershey Park, Pennsylvania.” He was a multi-sport athlete in high school. “I lettered in four sports: track, football, basketball and baseball. Baseball was my strongest sport.” He continued, “I just tried to play all sports to keep in shape year round.”

Lamonica was an All-State quarterback in high school, but baseball came calling. “My senior year, I turned down a $50,000 bonus plus contract with the Chicago Cubs to play baseball.” Instead, he went to Notre Dame on a scholarship to play football. He started at quarterback for three years and was named the Most Valuable Player in the East-West Shrine Game in 1962.

In 1963, Lamonica was drafted by both the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL) and the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Lamonica chose the Buffalo Bills. “The Bills were calling me every day. I got a call from a scout with Green Bay and he said that they would get back to me in a few days. I was getting ready to go out and play in the East-West Shrine Game. Ara Parseghian called me and said that he wanted me to be the starting quarterback for the East team. The Bills kept saying that if you get hurt, you won’t have a contract. We didn’t have agents back then. My mom used to send me $5 a week from her tip money from her beauty shop and that was my spending money. [The Bills] offered me $11,500 and a $1,500 signing bonus. I took that offer to my [Notre Dame] coach Joe Kuharich. He said, ‘That is a good contract. You should sign it.’ Now, I am walking back to my dorm room and thought, ‘Gosh, I am worth more than that.’ So, I called them back. I told John Mazer with the Bills, ‘I gotta have more money.’ He said, ‘How much more do you need?’ I said, ‘I gotta have a $2,000 bonus and a $12,000 contract.’ He was laughing so hard, he almost dropped the phone. He said, ‘I will send the contract in the mail to you.’ Then, I went out and played for Ara Parseghian and had a reall good game. I won MVP. After the game, I had a scout come up to me and said, ‘Here is a $100,000 bonus and a $100,000 contract.’ I didn’t know there was that much money in pro football. It just shows how the game has changed with agents. What it did prove is that maybe I had some ability and that I could possibly play at the next level.”

From 1963 through 1966, the Bills went on a winning streak, appearing in four straight league championships and winning in 1964 and 1965. That set the groundwork for Lamonica’s career. “I was fortunate to be an understudy to Jack Kemp. I had a chance to play with some great football players. We had a great defense that could keep us in all of the games. I got to learn the winning ways. Maybe I could be a starting quarterback.”

In 1967, Lamonica and wide receiver Glenn Bass were traded to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Art Powell and quarterback Tom Flores. Lamonica recalled, “Art Powell said to me, ‘I am probably the culprit, because I wanted to get back to Canada. I probably instigated that.’ Whether that is true or not, I don’t know.”

Lamonica continued, “There were no agents back then. I got to talk to both Ralph Wilson Junior and Senior the night before I was traded. Mr. Wilson Sr. said, ‘You will be our starting quarterback coming back this year.’ I was so fired up I could run through a brick wall. Eight hours later, I was traded. I still don’t know. Mr. Wilson has never explained it to me, why he traded me.”

However, Lamonica did not find out about the trade from traditional channels. Lamonica recalled, “I was talking to somebody and he said, ‘Hey, you have been traded to the Raiders!’ I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, right. No way.’ I had to call the Fresno Bee, my hometown paper, to find out that I was traded. I called my mom and she said that Al Davis had called and wanted me to call.”

Lamonica remembered, “I called Al [Davis] and met with him the next day. I looked at their upcoming schedule and the third league game was Buffalo in Buffalo. I got my playbook that day and just started studying for that one game.” Once game time arrived, “I go back and the fans give me a 15-minute standing ovation. It was really good. Cornerback Butch Byrd said that I would never complete a pass to his side of the field. I threw two touchdown passes in the first half right over top of him. They were a really good football team.”

Lamonica recalled, “I learned my winning ways from Buffalo. I go back to Buffalo a lot. A big part of my heart is still there because they gave me the opportunity to be a professional quarterback.” When asked if there were any hard feelings toward the Buffalo Bills organization, Lamonica said, “No. No. In fact, it is the exact opposite. They gave me an opportunity to come back to the West Coast and my family could come to the games and see me play. It all works out. You are hurt at the time and you do not understand the reasons why, but after you play the game enough, they are still part of my family. I am still very active with the alumni there, as well as the Raiders.”

Lamonica remembered what it was like to play for Al Davis: “Al was a unique individual. He knew the game of football. He actually coached the game. We had a wide-open offense. Everyone called it a form of the West Coast Offense. All of that was learned under Sid Gillman of the San Diego Chargers. Al was an assistant coach under him and learned the West Coast Offense. Where you put two wide receivers on the same side and open the game up. That fit me like a glove. The one thing about Al is that you could always talk football with him. One thing he stressed after every game. He would come up and ask, ‘What is the most important stat that you had this week?’ I said, ‘No INT’s.’ That was a big deal. No turnovers. Also, he liked speed. He liked guys that could run and could carry the ball and receivers that could go deep.” Lamonica finished by saying, “He was one of the few owners that really understood the game of football and made it fun to play.”

In Lamonica’s first year with the Raiders, he took them to the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. However, they lost 33-14. “That is the ultimate goal that you set out at the first of the year. We had a lot of young players. Shell and Upshaw and a lot of young guys there. We faced a pretty tough opponent in the Green Bay Packers. I talked to Jerry Kramer and he said, ‘Daryle, you had a big hurdle to get over. Right before the game started, the “old man,”’ as they called Vince Lombardi, ‘said that this was the last game that he was going to coach,’ and he wanted to win one for the coach. He said, ‘We were pretty well fired up.’ They were a good football team. They had a great pass rush. We played them real tough to halftime. But, we made a couple of errors and I threw an interception. I walked away from that game disappointed, but knowing that we had the potential to really play with the best-of-the-best in the game. I knew that we had a chance to go on and do very well in the future.”

Over the next three years, Lamonica was able to take the Raiders to the Conference Championship Game, but was never able to get them back to the Super Bowl. “We always go there, but were never able to close. I always felt bad about that.”

In 1973, he was benched in favor of fourth-year quarterback Ken Stabler. After seeing limited playing time in 1974, Lamonica was released by the Raiders.

In 1975, Lamonica played for the Southern California Sun of the World Football League. “I wish that I had an agent there. I would have probably stayed in the NFL. [The World Football League] had been calling me and calling me. They made me a really attractive offer. I went down there and it was really stepping down a couple of notches from what I was used to. The league folded that year. [Larry] Czonka, [Jim] Kiick and I talked and we thought it was a good concept, but from playing from where we were to where we went was not the same caliber.” After one season, he retired from playing football.

Lamonica commented, “I had a passion for the game of football. I still have a passion for the game of football. I think that I would have played the game for nothing. That is how much I loved it.”

Commenting on the Raiders fans, Lamonica said, “They were special and they still are. That is who we played for. We played for the city of Oakland and the fans. They get all fired up, but when you are on the field, you want to play good for them. You hate to let them down.” He continued, “I only have fond memories of the game of football. I mentioned before that we would have played for nothing.” He joked, “In retrospect, we probably did.”

After retirement, Lamonica focused on the trucking business. “While I was playing, I was into trucking. I had Mammoth Truck Lines here in Fresno. I did that in the off-season. Then, I went to Alaska and started a truck line there. My wife got pregnant with our son, and she said, ‘I am moving back to California.’ So, I sold my interest there and moved back to Fresno, California. I wanted to raise my family here and send my son to the Clovis Unified School District. It was a good move for me.”

Lamonica loves the outdoors. After he retired, he hosted a fishing show for Fox Sports Net named “Outdoors with the Pros.” Lamonica commented, “It is my passion. I love the outdoors. I still hunt and fish. I fished the Pro Bass circuit for a number of years. That is my hobby.”

One of the most meaningful honors Lamonica has received was from his high school, Clovis High. “My big thrill from high school was after I retired, they built a stadium and named it Daryle Lamonica Stadium. I have a stadium named after me in my home town. That was really nice.”

In 2013, Lamonica was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lamonica commented on receiving the call that he was inducted, “It was a pleasant shock. I wasn’t anticipating that. When I looked at the class of guys [that were inducted with him], I feel very honored and privileged to be named along with guys like [Erich] Barnes and Mike Curtis. Roman Gabriel and I are real close friends. We both won MVPs in, I think, 1969. Of course, Cookie Gilchrist. I have got to tell you, my first time with the Bills, Cookie Gilchrist could play offense, defense, anywhere. I watched him kick off and make the tackle on the five-yard line. Jim Tyrer was with the Kansas City Chiefs for years and years. All of the other guys were my era. I just feel honored to be associated in the same breath with those guys.”

Awards: • Three-Time AFL Champion (1964, 1965, 1967) • Named AFL MVP Twice (1967, 1969) • Named to the Pro Bowl Twice (1970, 1972) • Clovis High named their field Lamonica Field (1976) • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2013)

Ken Crippen is the former executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association. He has researched and written about pro football history for over two decades. He won the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick Connor Writing Award for Feature Writing and was named the Ralph Hay Award winner by the Professional Football Researchers Association for lifetime achievement on pro football history.

Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Andy Russell made up the linebacking corps of the famed “Steel Curtain” defense fielded by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. He made the All-Rookie team in 1963, was voted All-Pro or All-Conference seven times, went to seven Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s All-Pro team of

Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Andy Russell made up the linebacking corps of the famed “Steel Curtain” defense fielded by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. He made the All-Rookie team in 1963, was voted All-Pro or All-Conference seven times, went to seven Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s All-Pro team of the 1970s. But, his father was not happy about him playing professional football. According to Russell, “My father did not want me to play professional football because it would ‘embarrass the family to play a game for a living.’ You have to be a worker.”

Russell started with the Steelers in 1963. However, he left the team after his rookie season to serve in the military. According to Russell, “In 1964 and 1965, I was in Germany as an Army Lieutenant. I got back in 1966.” While in the military, he continued to play football and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the USAREUR (U.S. Army Europe) Football in 1964.

He started all 14 games of the 1966 season and was named to his first Pro Bowl in 1968. The accolades continued to mount for Russell throughout his career as the team rose to win two Super Bowls during his tenure. He was named Defensive MVP in both 1968 and 1970, was named to six more Pro Bowls and he won the Byron “Whizzer’”White NFL Man of the Year Award, just to name a few.

After he retired from professional football, he went into business. According to Russell, “Back when I played, you knew you were not going to make any money playing football, so I had to get a real job.” He continued, “When I got back from the military, I went and got my MBA. I convinced my father that I needed to play a couple more years of professional football to pay for my MBA. Then I started my own business in 1969 selling limited partner investments for Wall Street. In the first year, I was making dramatically more money than the Steelers were paying me. I didn’t retire until after the 1976 season. I would go to meetings before practice, after practice. I would go to work on Monday. It was 24/7. I loved every minute. I am not complaining. I started an investment bank called Russell, Rea and Zappala. We ultimately sold that to J.P. Morgan. I have been in private equity for the last dozen years or so.”

In March of 1999, he created the Andy Russell Charitable Foundation to contribute funds to children’s charities. The hope was to support a number of programs, particularly research organizations concentrating on children. According to Russell, “The primary provider of capital to the foundation has been our annual golf tournament. We have a celebrity golf classic every year. This will be our 37th year. We have raised millions of dollars and given most of it to Children’s Hospital here in Pittsburgh and a lot of it over the last 10-15 years has gone to the University of Pittsburgh’s Medical Center, which is Pittsburgh’s largest employer.”

However, he does not just focus on his foundation. He is also involved with the Ray Mansfield Steelers Smoker to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of western Pennsylvania. “I am the chairman of that,” said Russell. “Ray Mansfield was my best Steeler buddy and he passed away hiking the Grand Canyon; I replaced him as the chairman of that.” He also attends and contributes to events held by the Salvation Army.

Russell also works on the NFL’s Taste of the NFL: Party with a Purpose event at the Super Bowl. This event raises money to battle hunger in America. They have raised over $14 million in the 22 years that the event has been held. Russell said, “Unfortunately, we have hunger in America, so I have done that every year for the last 15 years as the representative for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They typically have 32 food stations with a famous chef from that city. All the money that is raised goes to the various food banks in each of the NFL cities. They have a competition every year to see who can raise the most money. We have won it the last few years. It is not because the chef and I are famous, but it is because the global Steeler Nation is pretty amazing. We have the longest line. It doesn’t matter if the Steelers are in the Super Bowl or not. Here will be people from Saudi Arabia. There will be people from Japan. There are Steelers bars in Moscow, Tokyo and Rome. They are all over the world!!”

His tireless charitable work has not gone unnoticed. In 1985, he was named Man of the Year by the Mel Blount Youth Home. He was also named Man of the Year by Big Brothers and Sisters in 1989. In addition, he received the Bob Prince Award (1992), the Hance Award for the St. Barnabas Foundation (1992), the Don Faurot Distinguished American Award (2005), the Myron Cope Legends in Sports Award (2008), and the Life’s Works Career Achievement Award (2008), among many other accolades.

In 2011, Russell was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

When asked about his chances for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Russell responded, “That is something I leave to others to think about.” Russell continued, “There have been some things that I have done in my career that would not impress the Hall of Fame voters. For example, I was the Steeler captain for ten years. I think that is a Steeler record. That was not selected by the players. It was not a popularity contest. It was selected by the coaches. I never missed a game my entire football career; high school, college, Army or pro. It is obviously a lot of luck to avoid all those injuries. I played hurt a lot with broken fingers and thumbs, and things like that. But, you played. In those days, the biggest badge of honor was to play hurt. That is not so anymore.”

Russell currently lives in western Pennsylvania.

Awards: • All-Pro Rookie Team (1963) • Steeler Team Captain for 10 years • Defensive MVP (1968 and 1970) • Named to the NFL’s All-Pro Team of the 1970s • Pittsburgh Steelers Team MVP (1971) • Received the Byron “Whizzer” White NFL Man of the Year Award (1972) • Named to seven Pro Bowls • Inducted into the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame (1983) • Inducted into the University of Missouri Hall of Fame (1993) • Named to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 75th Anniversary All-Time Team (2007) • Member of the NFL’s 300 Greatest Players • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Inaugural Class of the Hall of Very Good (2011)

Ken Crippen is the former executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association. He has researched and written about pro football history for over two decades. He won the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick Connor Writing Award for Feature Writing and was named the Ralph Hay Award winner by the Professional Football Researchers Association for lifetime achievement on pro football history.

Considered one of the greatest centers of all-time, Mick Tingelhoff started 240 consecutive regular-season games. That was good enough for third all-time behind Brett Favre (297) and Jim Marshall (270). Over his 17-year career, he played on ten playoff teams and went to four Super Bowls. He was one of only ten players to

Considered one of the greatest centers of all-time, Mick Tingelhoff started 240 consecutive regular-season games. That was good enough for third all-time behind Brett Favre (297) and Jim Marshall (270). Over his 17-year career, he played on ten playoff teams and went to four Super Bowls. He was one of only ten players to play in all four Minnesota Vikings’ Super Bowl appearances. He is also one of only six players to have his jersey retired by the Minnesota Vikings.

Tingelhoff played all four years of high school football for Lexington High School in Lexington, Nebraska. He then went to Nebraska to play under Bill Jennings. According to Tingelhoff, “Nobody was interested in me other than Nebraska.”

When asked about whether he always wanted to play professional football, Tingelhoff responded, “No. Not really. I had no idea that I would be able to when I was in high school. Then I got into college and people said that I might have a chance. Things worked out.”

However, Tingelhoff went undrafted. “[The Vikings] were the only team interested in me, to tell you the truth,” he recalled. “After the draft, a couple of days later I got a phone call. It was the Vikings and they wanted to talk to me.”

He made an immediate impact. After three preseason games, he became the starter and stayed the starter for the remainder of his career.

Tingelhoff enjoyed playing center. He said, “It was about the only position I ever played.” He continued, “As the center, we had to call out the defenses. Whether it was even defense or 4-3 defense, or over or under. I enjoyed it.”

When he was asked about the reason for losing four Super Bowls, Tingelhoff commented, “I have been asked this before. I really don’t know. We had beaten the teams before. On that day, we just didn’t do it. You play a team one day and beat them. Then, play them two weeks later and lose to them. That’s the game of football.”

Over his career, Tingelhoff went to six straight Pro Bowls, was named consensus All-Pro six times, was named to the Minnesota Vikings’ 25th Anniversary team as well as the 40th Anniversary team, and was named the NFL’s Top Offensive Lineman of the Year by the 1,000-Yard Club in 1969.

After retiring from football, Tingelhoff became a stockbroker. He has since retired from that and has focused on time with his family.

In 2003, Tingelhoff was inducted into the inaugural class of the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Teammate Carl Eller was also inducted in that class. Tingelhoff recalled, “We called [Eller] ‘The Moose Man’ because he was so big. Great guy.”

In 2012, Tingelhoff received the Gerald R. Ford Legends Award, presented to legendary football centers, during the Rimington Trophy presentation. The Rimington Trophy is presented to the best center in college football that season.

Tingelhoff has never been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, let alone an inductee. When asked about the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mick’s voice had a drastic change in tone. He said, “Well, that’s life. If they don’t want me in, they don’t want me in.” He continued, “It would be great to get in, but it’s not that big a deal to me.”

According to teammate Ed White, “Mick was tough as nails.” He continued, “He played well against all middle linebackers.” Comparing Tingelhoff to his contemporaries, White said, “[Mick] was every bit as good as [Mike] Webster. None were any better than Mick.”

Tingelhoff currently lives in Minnesota. He has three children (two boys and a girl) and at last count, twelve grandchildren.

Awards: • Named NFL’s Top Offensive Lineman of the Year by the 1,000-Yard Club (1969) • Inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame (1980) • Inducted into the Minnesota Vikings’ Ring of Honor (2001) • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Inaugural Class of the Hall of Very Good (2003) • His number (53) was retired by the Minnesota Vikings • Member of the Minnesota Vikings’ 25th Anniversary Team • Member of the Minnesota Vikings’ 40th Anniversary Team • Was named one of the Minnesota Vikings’ 50 Greatest Players • Received the Gerald R. Ford Legends Award (2012)

When Philadelphia Eagles fans talk about the greatest linebackers in franchise history, Bill Bergey’s name is on that list. Like Chuck Bednarik before him, Bergey became a fan favorite in the city. Bergey recalled, “I affectionately say to every Eagles fan that I have signed autographs for, and people still want autographs, it is

When Philadelphia Eagles fans talk about the greatest linebackers in franchise history, Bill Bergey’s name is on that list. Like Chuck Bednarik before him, Bergey became a fan favorite in the city. Bergey recalled, “I affectionately say to every Eagles fan that I have signed autographs for, and people still want autographs, it is pretty cool.”

Bergey started playing organized football at South Dayton High School in western New York. According to Bergey, “I started in the ninth grade. I played playground football before that.”

After high school, Bergey attended Arkansas State University because they were, “The only place that would take me.” According to Bergey, “I played football at a Class C school. There were 47 in our graduating class. We barely had enough guys to play football. So we never even had any films for our football games. I had my guidance director when I was a senior write to maybe eight or ten colleges, and two of them responded. One was the University of New Mexico and the other one was Arkansas State University.”

Bergey recalled how he arrived at his decision: “Now, I was from western New York, between Buffalo and Jamestown. So, I got my map out and saw where Arkansas State was closer than New Mexico, so I decided to go ahead and pursue Arkansas State.”

He detailed, “The [Arkansas State] coaches were in New York City at a coach’s convention. They had asked to see me. It looked like it was going to be good for recruiting for them, having a kid from western New York play football for them at Arkansas State and they asked if I would be willing to go to New York City where they are having a coach’s convention. I said ‘Yes.’ Unbeknownst to me, from where I was in New York, it was about 425 miles away. We went to New York City. We packed up a couple of scrapbooks that I had put together and I just pleaded for any kind of scholarship help that they could give to me, because I didn’t have any money at all. They gave me a partial scholarship.”

Recalling his days at the university, Bergey said, “I went down to Arkansas State and red-shirted my first year. Then, I started four years in a row. I didn’t start at linebacker. It was kind of a platoon system that we had. I was an offensive guard and a nose guard. After a couple of plays, that whole unit would go out and another unit would come in. My junior year, they moved me to linebacker. I was standing up and could see everything. Things just started to click for me.” He continued, “I was a pretty good athlete. I could run real fast. I was big enough. I started out at linebacker in college around 232 or 234 [pounds]. I made All-American. I played in the North-South Game and the Senior Bowl. I played in one of the last Chicago All-Star Games against the world champion New York Jets at the time.”

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Bergey in the second round of the 1969 NFL draft. “Cincinnati was in the second year of their franchise and they needed a linebacker,” recalled Bergey. “I was about two weeks late getting to the Bengals and I looked at the two linebackers they had and I said, ‘If you don’t beat out one of those guys, you don’t belong in the game of pro football.’” He started in his first game with the Bengals and continued to start the remainder of his career.

Bergey loved playing for the legendary Paul Brown while in Cincinnati. “Paul Brown was a great guy,” commented Bergey. “I loved him. I really liked his values. He loved his players being married. He loved his players having kids. He wanted to see his players have responsibilities off the field, too. He encouraged us to go to church on Sunday morning before we played football Sunday afternoon.” Then Bergey commented on Brown’s coaching style, “[He was] a very scientific guy. He would run out to a wide receiver and tell him to take a half-a-step out on a pattern. He was very quiet and soft spoken, but if you really did something stupid, he would really rip into you. He would embarrass you in front of all of your teammates, which was pretty tough. He didn’t mind if you got knocked flat on your ass, but if you are going into the right hook area when you should have been going left, he really had a big-time problem with that. He was one of the first coaches that measured the intelligence of a football player by these tests that he had for us, to see how much we could grasp at one time. Since then, the [NFL] Players Association has outlawed that.”

Reminiscing on his time with Cincinnati, Bergey said, “I enjoyed playing with the Bengals. I remember much more about playing for the Bengals than I did with the Eagles, if you believe it or not.” He continued, “I got married. I had kids. I had three sons. Nobody got paid a lot of money. On an off day, a lot of players would get together and play cards or have a pot luck supper or something like that. All of that stuff was pretty cool.”

In 1974, Bergey signed a futures contract to play in the upstart World Football League. “It was strictly the money. I will make no bones about it. I was making $37,000 with Paul Brown. The World Football League came along and offered me, I think it was, $625,000 for three years guaranteed, no cut, no trade. I think you can do the math on that. I was strictly in it for the cash.” Bergey signed the contract and cashed the signing bonus check.

That upset Paul Brown. “Paul Brown took me to court, stating that ‘It impairs the integrity of any professional athlete to play for one ball club and to be compensated by another,’” recalled Bergey. “I had already received an $80,000 bonus from the World Football League and that was more than twice my salary. I had one more year under Paul Brown. I had said that ‘I would honor that one year and then I was going on to the World Football League.’ We had the biggest, most unbelievable court battle you can imagine in Philadelphia. I never cried ‘Uncle.’ I knew that I was doing the right thing. I won the court battle. I won the appeal, and I pretty much pissed Paul Brown off and he was not going to have anything to do with me.”

At this point in his career, Bergey could not go back to the Bengals. However, things were not great with the World Football League (WFL), either. Bergey recalled, “My team with the World Football League was Norfolk, which moved to Washington. From Washington, it moved to Orlando. I had flown down there to see what my situation was. The managing general partner told me, ‘The contract that they signed you to was absolutely unbelievable. I can’t believe that anybody would sign you to a contract like that.’ It made me feel like I wasn’t wanted. So, now my head is spinning and I don’t know what to do. I am a very confused young man right now.” He was paid a signing bonus to play in the WFL, but it appeared as though his contract was not going to be honored. Bergey said, “I had to give my [WFL] bonus monies back, but the people in Norfolk wanted it. The people in Washington wanted it. The people in Orlando wanted it. That is when I got very tough. I was ready to do whatever the heck I had to do. We eventually gave the money back to the original guy that gave it to me.”

However, all hope was not lost. Bergey had a few suitors, but the strongest was the Philadelphia Eagles. Bergey said, “Mike McCormack, who was the head coach of Philadelphia, was pursuing me to see if he could get a middle linebacker and go to the Super Bowl. One player does not make a team.” He continued, “I had a chance to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, but I also could have gone to Green Bay, Denver, New Orleans or the Washington Redskins.” The Bengals traded Bergey to the Eagles. “I ended up going on to Philadelphia, and at that time, it was for two number one round draft picks and a number two round draft choice.”

The move was tough on his family, but it turned out well in the end. “We got traded to Philadelphia,” said Bergey. “We moved to the big city. It is almost as if I am now a star. It was really tough on my wife. The demands on my time were unbelievable. This is not a knock on Philadelphia. As a matter of fact, this is a big plus for Philadelphia. I enjoyed playing for Philadelphia. It has been great. That is why I decided to make Philadelphia my home.”

After his first year with the Eagles, Bergey knew that he made the right decision. “I played pretty good football my first year in Philadelphia. I was runner-up to ‘Mean’ Joe Green for Defensive Player of the Year. I made consensus All-Pro at linebacker. Everything connected in Philadelphia. I had an affair with the fans in Philadelphia and it worked out very, very nicely.”

When asked to comment on the differences between the Philadelphia Eagles organization and the Cincinnati Bengals organization, Bergey said, “The Bengals were known for the tight buck.” He continued, “It was almost impossible to get anything out of Paul Brown. He was always fair with me, I thought. It was just like going from Division III college football to Division I. Not saying that Philadelphia was that much better. As far as the organization, the way things were run. Paul Brown did not want to have any superstars on his team. One time, I had a great game against the Green Bay Packers. This television guy wanted me to do an interview with him right after the game. I knew that it would be pretty cool and I said to Paul, ‘There is this guy from the TV station who wants to interview me and do you think that would be good for the franchise?’ Paul Brown told me not to do it. In Philadelphia, something like that never would have happened. They would want to get all of the ink that they could possibly get. It was more of a family business [in Cincinnati]. I am not knocking that either, but it was just more of a family business. Mike Brown being the lawyer of the ball club. When we would have an away game, everybody would eat together, which is fine. Everybody would have to go to a movie together. That is fine. The food was the same thing every single time. It was prime rib. It was peas. It was a baked potato and it was pie a la mode. That was our meal every single time we went anywhere. In Philadelphia, they give you meal money and you go out and eat wherever you want to eat. Some were gourmets and some were greasers. The gourmets would find a three, four or five-star restaurant and really dine very, very nicely. Then, there were players that would get a bag full of McDonalds hamburgers and head to their room and eat it and pocket the money.”

In 1976, Mike McCormack was out and Dick Vermeil was the new head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. In Bergey’s opinion, he was a welcome change. “Dick Vermeil instilled the discipline that was so obviously lacking by the Eagles’ players. When he first came in, I looked at him and said, ‘This has got to be the hairiest high school coach I think I have ever seen in my life.’ It was the simple stuff, like you don’t take a knee on the field unless you are told to take a knee. You keep your chinstrap buckled all the time. We will have a water break when we want to give you a water break.”

However, not all of the Eagles’ players were on board, but for those who bought into Vermeil’s program, a certain chemistry was formed. “When we went to Super Bowl XV and when we played the Oakland Raiders, from the time he got there until the time we played that football game, I think there were eight or maybe nine of us left over, and I tell you that there is a bond between those guys and Dick Vermeil that you will never, ever see again. He appreciated us for the way we bought in and the way he did things. We stuck with him all the way. We became his leaders and the whole thing worked out real well.”

The Eagles continued to improve under Vermeil’s leadership. But, a serious knee injury in the third game of the 1979 season threatened to end Bergey’s career. He recalled, “I didn’t know [if I could come back]. I knew that we were getting close [to the end of my career].”

With extensive rehab, Bergey was able to come back for the 1980 season, but it would be his last. He recalled, “If I was at one time a 100 percent football player, after my knee injury, I don’t think I got past 65 percent. When I was on top of my game, I could diagnose a play and get to a spot to almost wait for a ball carrier. After the knee injury, I could still diagnose a play, but by the time I could get to that spot, the ball carrier was gone. Nobody had to tell me that it was my time. I would always be up in the two hundreds, as far as tackles goes. I think that the year we went to the Super Bowl, I played in every game and played on every play. I think that I was around 135 tackles. It was just absolutely dreadful. I used to watch film, and I would remember, ‘Gosh, I used to be able to make that play and it was so easy to make that play.’ I just couldn’t make it anymore. That’s when it was time for me to hang up the old strap.”

Even if Bergey did not have his best season, the Eagles had a magical run to the Super Bowl. He recalled the feeling throughout the city that year, “When we went to the Super Bowl, everybody went crazy. The people, they just got so fanatical about everything. Even when the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, it was the same way. I would just love to see the Eagles go and win one Super Bowl and see what this town would be like. I can’t really envision it, but I can envision it, too. It would just turn this place upside down.”

Bergey retired after the 1980 season. He recalled, “Dick Vermeil, my wife, several other people at my news conference, everybody was crying. My attitude was, ‘Hey, that part of my life is over. I can feel bad about it, or I can turn around and do a big one-eighty and make something happen.’ I just did that and I got into some businesses and everything worked out for me. I was in the hospitality business. I was a part owner of some hotels, golf courses and stuff like that. Everything has worked out real good for me.” Bergey also spent time in broadcasting, “I did TV and radio. In fact, after 23 years on the radio, I just retired from that.”

In 2012, Bergey was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bergey commented, “My oldest son called me and said that I was nominated for this. That is wonderful!” He continued, “I appreciate this. Thank you for this nice honor.”

When Bergey was asked about all of the awards and accolades bestowed upon him over the years, he commented, “I have a feeling that this [Hall of Very Good induction] is going to be as special as any of them. I am in eight or nine of these things. When I heard this through my son, I thought this was pretty cool. For me to be on the Eagles’ Honor Roll, that is special to me. I am on [Arkansas State’s] Wall of Fame, too. I was the first person to go up there. That one is pretty special to me, too. A little while ago, [Arkansas State] had a poll and I was named the best player ever to go through Arkansas State. That is a pretty heavy thing.” He finished by saying, “My wife just said, ‘Don’t forget that they retired your number!’”

The Eagles fans always have a special place in Bergey’s heart. They loved and supported him throughout his time in the city. He would sign every autograph and talk to every fan. He knows what the team means to the fans in Philadelphia. Bergey lovingly described the typical Philadelphia Eagles fan, “He won’t take a vacation. He won’t buy a new car if he needs one. He would not buy new furniture for his house. But that guy, come hell or high water, renews his season tickets every single year. That is just the way the Eagles fans are.”

Bill Bergey still lives in the Philadelphia area.

Awards: • Member of the Arkansas State University Hall of Heroes • Jersey retired by Arkansas State University • Voted by fans as the Best Player in Arkansas State University History (1976) • Philadelphia Eagles’ Honor Roll (1988) • Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame (1989) • Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame (2004) • Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2011) • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2012)

Born Clarence McKay Parker in 1912 to Ernest and Mabel Parker in Portsmouth, Virginia, Clarence attended Woodrow Wilson High School, excelling in five sports: football, baseball, basketball, track and soccer.

Pro Football Hall of FameParker with his presenter Jack White, GM of the 49ers, during his Enshrinement

Born Clarence McKay Parker in 1912 to Ernest and Mabel Parker in Portsmouth, Virginia, Clarence attended Woodrow Wilson High School, excelling in five sports: football, baseball, basketball, track and soccer.

Pro Football Hall of FameParker with his presenter Jack White, GM of the 49ers, during his Enshrinement in 1972.

After graduation, he was set to attend Virginia Tech until a former Duke alumnus requested that Parker visit the campus in Durham. Parker agreed and went to see Duke football coach Wallace Wade. According to Parker’s friend Buddy Lex, “Ace went down to Wade’s office and Wade said, ‘I understand you are going to Virginia Tech.’ Clarence says, ‘Yes, sir.’ Wade said, ‘I think you made a wise decision. I don’t think you could make our ball club here.’” That was all the strong-willed Parker needed to hear. He changed his mind and went to Duke to prove that he could make the team. He did more than that, making second-team All-American in 1935 and consensus first team All-American in 1936, when he also placed sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Asked how Parker got the nickname “Ace,” Buddy Lex responded, “A Norfolk newspaper had a sports reporter named Bill Cox. Ace, when he was playing for Duke University, [Cox] wrote a column and it said, ‘When you need ten yards, six yards or 20 yards, Clarence Parker is like an ace in the hole. He can get those yards for you.’ From then on, he was known as ‘Ace’ Parker. That was about 1935.”

Parker was drafted by the NFL’s Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937, but chose to play baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics instead, hitting a home run in his first at-bat. After one year of baseball, Parker requested and was granted permission to play for the Dodgers. For the 1937 and 1938 seasons, Parker was playing professional baseball and football. After the 1938 season, he decided to focus strictly on football. He led the team in passing in 1937 and led the league in 1938. Comparing those accomplishments to his baseball records — a .179 batting average, 20 runs and 25 RBIs — the choice was clear that football was his sport.

In 1940, Ace broke his leg sliding into second base during a summer baseball game. As a result, he needed to wear a bulky brace on his leg, which went from his ankle to his knee. That was also the year that legendary Pitt coach Jock Sutherland joined the Dodgers. Under Sutherland, Parker had one of his best years as a pro, amassing 817 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, 306 rushing yards, and leading the league in points after touchdowns. Parker won NFL Most Valuable Player honors that year.

In 1942, Parker left pro sports to join the Navy. He served two years at the Norfolk Naval Base, attaining the rank of chief petty officer. While in the Navy, he played baseball and managed the base’s team.

After serving in the military, Parker returned to the pro gridiron to play for the 1945 Boston Yanks. He finished his career playing for the 1946 New York Yankees of the upstart All-America Football Conference, reuniting with former Dodger owner Dan Topping.

After retiring from pro football, Parker was an assistant football coach at Duke University from 1948 through 1966. He was also Duke’s head baseball coach from 1953 through 1966. From 1949 through 1952, Parker was also a player-manager with the semi-pro Durham Bulls. He won Piedmont Manager of the Year honors in 1949 and 1951 and had a record of 303-266 with the Bulls.

Parker went on to scout for the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals over the next 30 years.

Parker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1963, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1972, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972, the Duke University Sports Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

Defensive back Eddie Meador received little fanfare while attending small-college Arkansas Tech, but made an impact when he hit the National Football League. A seventh-round draft pick in the 1959 NFL draft, Meador went on to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for the Los Angeles Rams, was voted Defensive Back of the

Defensive back Eddie Meador received little fanfare while attending small-college Arkansas Tech, but made an impact when he hit the National Football League. A seventh-round draft pick in the 1959 NFL draft, Meador went on to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for the Los Angeles Rams, was voted Defensive Back of the Year for the team seven times, was selected to eight Pro Bowls, and was named to the NFL’s All-1960s team.

Over his twelve-year career with the Rams, he intercepted 46 passes, recovered 18 opponents’ fumbles and blocked 10 kicks; all are still team records.

According to the late Merlin Olsen, a long-time teammate, Olsen said Meador “was one of the finest defensive backs I have ever seen. Outstanding in coverage and a fierce tackler, he had a remarkable nose for the football that allowed him to come up with big plays again and again during his career.”

Post Football CardsMeador was drafted in the 7th Round of the 1959 NFL draft, as the 80th pick overall

Meador’s football career started simple enough. “I started [playing football] in seventh or eighth grade in Ovalo, Texas. I only played one year of high school football. We moved from Texas to Arkansas between my sophomore and junior year. I was ineligible to play my junior year. In training camp before the season started, I had a hip injury that put me out for the year. I didn’t get to play and only played my senior year.” He graduated from Russellville High School in Arkansas as an all-state football player.

With only one year of high school football under his belt and his smaller stature (5’11”), his college career almost failed to materialize. He was rejected by legendary University of Alabama coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant as being too small to play college football. Tulsa had the same opinion. However, Arkansas Tech gave him a chance and offered Meador a scholarship. He was all-conference three times at Arkansas Tech and was little All-American his senior year. He was also named Arkansas Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1958.

However, according to Meador, “I hadn’t thought about playing professional football.” He continued, “I went through ROTC in college and had a commission in the army. I had planned on making the military my career. Then I got drafted by the Rams and thought, ‘Shoot. I might as well try it.’”

After being drafted by the Rams, Meador still considered making the military his career. “I had the opportunity to take a six-month career. So I did my basic training and officer training school at Fort Benning, Georgia during my first off-season with the Rams. That is how it worked out. The six months was up when my second season started.”

Meador played on the same defense as the famous Fearsome Foursome. He had fond memories of his teammates. According to Meador, Deacon Jones “was exceptional. He was not as fast as most of us backs, but he was just an extreme, great defensive end.” Merlin Olsen “was a very intelligent football player. He and Deacon were a terror.” He continued, “Rosey [Grier] was an excellent ball-player. It was too bad he tore up his achilles tendon and cut his career short. He plugged up the center of the line.” Meador said, “Lamar Lundy was I guess a lot like Deacon Jones, just not as fearsome as Deacon was, but he was a great ball player. He was tall enough…big enough. The quarterbacks had trouble getting the ball over him.” Finally, on Roger Brown: “The Rams traded for him from Detroit [when Grier tore his achilles tendon]. He was an excellent ball player, as well. He was a lot like Rosey: big, tough man in the middle.”

The Rams struggled during the first part of Meador’s career. It was not until George Allen took over before the Rams saw success. According to Meador, “[Allen] made us believe that we could win. He was 150% coach. He was a super coach.” The Rams had a winning record the remainder of Meador’s career, including two playoff appearances (1967 and 1969). Unfortunately, both resulted in a loss for the Rams.

Meador also played special teams. “I was a punt returner and kick returner in college,” recalled Meador. In referring to whether he liked playing special teams, Meador hesitantly said, “Yeah. It was kinda scary in the pros.” He continued, “Actually, I didn’t play that much in the pros, except I was a safety on the kickoff team and a holder for the extra points and field goals. In my next to last year, or last year, we were having trouble with fumbles on punt returns. George Allen put me in there for a little while. That was a little scary.”

He became active in the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and was elected president. “I was elected by the NFLPA, and Jack Kemp at that time was the president of the American League Association. When [the leagues] merged in 1969, the Players Associations got together and elected John Mackey as president of the NFL Players Association. I was president-elect for about a month.”

Meador retired from football after the 1970 season and went into the real estate business. “I moved from L.A. to Dallas. I was in the real estate business, in the Century 21 offices. One time, I had four of them in Dallas and about 85 agents working for me.”

However, it did not last. “The next thing I know, I am in the hospital. It was a little bit more mental work than football. I was about 48 years old. I thought, ‘I am too young for something like this.’”

Then he found his passion. “My wife was a jewelry buyer for a jewelry store in Dallas back in the early days. After I sold my offices, we didn’t really know what we were going to do. We began to mess around with jewelry. We went to the World Trade Center and to shows to sell it. Then one person said, ‘Why don’t you go to horse shows to sell your jewelry?’ I said, ‘I should go to a horse show to sell it?’ We went to several horse shows and decided that we needed good equestrian jewelry. So, we began to learn about making jewelry and started our business and that was 31 years ago. We make equestrian jewelry and sell it all around the country. My grandkids are involved in it. Some of the finest people in the world are ones that own horses.”

In 2012, Meador was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. Formed in 2003, the Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Awards: • Inducted into the Arkansas Tech University Hall of Distinction (1969) • Awarded the NFL Father of the Year (1969) • Awarded the NFLPA Byron ‘Whizzer’ White NFL Man of the Year Award (1969) • Elected to the Helms Athletic Foundation Sports Hall of Fame (1972) • Elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (1978) • NAIA Collegiate Hall of Fame Member • Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2012)